Patriots Fall to Steelers 27-17 in Week 3, defensive Struggles Continue
The New England Patriots suffered a 27-17 defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3, continuing a concerning trend of defensive vulnerabilities. Despite keeping the same defensive starters,the Patriots allowed Aaron Rodgers to complete 16 of 23 passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns,following recent games where opposing quarterbacks combined for 677 passing yards on a 50-of-66 completion rate.
The Patriots were without All-Pro cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who was downgraded to out before the game after limited practices. In his absence, Carlton Davis III, Alex Austin, Craig Woodson, and Jaylinn Hawkins comprised the starting secondary, with Kyle Dugger featuring in big nickel packages and Marcus Jones rotating between the slot and perimeter.
Pittsburgh capitalized on coverage breakdowns,including a 12-yard touchdown pass to DK Metcalf against Davis III,who was later flagged for defensive pass interference. Austin also drew two penalties – defensive pass interference against darnell Washington and a questionable holding call. A 17-yard touchdown pass to Calvin Austin III, where Patriots captain Marcus Jones was beaten, extended the Steelers’ lead to 21-14 with under two minutes remaining.
Robert Spillane led the Patriots defense with a team-high 15 tackles and an interception returned to the 11-yard line. Jack Gibbens saw increased defensive usage, while safety-turned-linebacker Marte Mapu was utilized on third downs, replacing Christian Elliss.