Pittsburgh
Steelers
1-0
20
FINAL
36
New England
Patriots
0-1
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a commanding performance, the New England Patriots defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 36-20 in Week 2 of the 2026 season. With both teams looking to establish momentum early in the year, the Patriots secured a crucial victory at home, showcasing their offensive prowess and defensive dominance.
Quarterback Drake Maye led the charge for New England, throwing for 270 yards and two touchdowns, while TreVeyon Henderson added a solid ground game with 77 rushing yards. Kayshon Boutte was the standout receiver, racking up 133 yards and proving to be a reliable target downfield. The Patriots' offense was efficient and effective, maintaining control throughout the game.
Defensively, the Patriots made their mark with standout performances from several key players. Christian Elliss recorded 10 total tackles, leading the charge in stopping the Steelers' attempts to mount a comeback. However, the game-changing moment came from Kevin Byard III, who snagged three interceptions, effectively stifling any Pittsburgh momentum and sealing the victory for New England.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | YDS | TD | INT | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drake Maye | QB | 32 | 22 | 270 | 2 | 0 | 115.3 |
| Aaron Rodgers | QB | 40 | 21 | 245 | 1 | 3 | 48.4 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TreVeyon Henderson | HB | 16 | 77 | 4.8 | 1 | 24 | 0 |
| Rico Dowdle | HB | 12 | 53 | 4.4 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Rhamondre Stevenson | HB | 8 | 23 | 2.9 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Aaron Rodgers | QB | 3 | 14 | 4.7 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Michael Pittman | WR | 3 | 13 | 4.3 | 1 | 7 | 0 |
| Jaylen Warren | HB | 4 | 9 | 2.3 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| A.J. Brown | WR | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Drake Maye | QB | 4 | 4 | 1.0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Darnell Washington | TE | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Romeo Doubs | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kayshon Boutte | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kayshon Boutte | WR | 9 | 133 | 14.8 | 1 | 59 | 0 |
| Michael Pittman | WR | 7 | 97 | 13.9 | 1 | 24 | 0 |
| DK Metcalf | WR | 7 | 90 | 12.9 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| Hunter Henry | TE | 6 | 57 | 9.5 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| A.J. Brown | WR | 3 | 50 | 16.7 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| Germie Bernard | WR | 3 | 26 | 8.7 | 0 | 9 | 2 |
| Eli Raridon | TE | 2 | 19 | 9.5 | 0 | 10 | 1 |
| Pat Freiermuth | TE | 2 | 15 | 7.5 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Darnell Washington | TE | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Romeo Doubs | WR | 2 | 11 | 5.5 | 1 | 8 | 1 |
| Rico Dowdle | HB | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kevin Byard III | FS | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian Elliss | WILL | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T.J. Watt | LEDG | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Robert Spillane | MIKE | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Patrick Queen | MIKE | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jamel Dean | CB | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joey Porter | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Milton Williams | DT | 2 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Carlton Davis III | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian Gonzalez | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cam Heyward | DT | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Ramsey | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Herbig | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Harold Landry III | REDG | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Payton Wilson | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derrick Harmon | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DeShon Elliott | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Craig Woodson | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Asante Samuel Jr | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rayshawn Jenkins | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marcus Jones | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dre'Mont Jones | LEDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Joshua Farmer | DT | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaquan Brisker | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Amari Gainer | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian Barmore | DT | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alex Highsmith | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryce Baringer | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Andres Borregales | K | 5 | 5 | 3 | 43 |
| Chris Boswell | K | 2 | 2 | 2 | 47 |

