Cheat Sheet: Steelers vs. Patriots

HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN

• TV coverage: Broadcast nationally on Prime Video (KDKA-TV locally in Pittsburgh).
• Steelers Radio Network - Game coverage begins at 8:15 p.m. ET; Pregame programming begins at 4:15 p.m.; Postgame coverage starts immediately following the game.
• Don't miss a minute of the action... check out all of the ways that you can watch, listen and follow along on gameday. Click here >>>

INJURY UPDATE

The Steelers host the New England Patriots at Acrisure Stadium.
Check out the most updated Injury Report: Click here >>>

SERIES HISTORY

This series began in 1972 with the Steelers winning the first two matchups and five of the first six. Overall, New England leads 18-16 including five playoff matchups. Pittsburgh's only postseason win over the Patriots was a 7-6 victory in the divisional round after the 1997 season. The Patriots have won the last two meetings, with the most recent in Week 2 of last year. During the last 18 meetings dating back to December of 1998, New England is 14-4. The Steelers have been to eight Super Bowls, winning six. New England has been to 11, also winning six, which is the most of any of the 32 franchises. Bill Belichick is 15-12 as a head coach against Pittsburgh while Mike Tomlin is 3-8 against the Patriots.

MATCHUP OVERVIEW

• New England has lost five in a row and is 1-8 in their last nine games. The Patriots are 1-4 on the road this season with a minus-52-point differential in those games. New England has produced just 13 points over its past three games but have only give up 26. The Steelers have scored 36 over their past three. Pittsburgh is 4-3 at Acrisure Stadium in 2023. Amazingly, New England has lost three straight games when allowing 10 points or fewer, which is the first time that has happened since 1938. Pittsburgh has yet to lose two games in a row this season.
• Last week was the fifth game this year that Pittsburgh scored 10 points or less. Last week was the fifth game this year that New England scored seven points or less.
• New England has been outscored by 106 points this season. The Steelers are minus-37 in point differential.
• The Steelers turnover differential sits at plus-10 compared to minus-9 for New England. Pittsburgh has 20 takeaways compared to 11 by New England and 12 interceptions compared to six. The Patriots have turned the ball over 20 times compared to just 10 by Pittsburgh. New England has thrown 14 interceptions compared to just six by the Steelers. No team has gained more EPA from turnovers than Pittsburgh. No team has lost more EPA from turnovers than the Patriots, who are also last in EPA earned on special teams.
• Last season in Week 2, the Patriots held the football for 33:36. This season, New England's time of possession is at 28:11 compared to 28:41 for the Steelers. But over the past three games, Pittsburgh is at 32:11 and the Patriots are at 33:13.
• New England's opponents have scored 10 more touchdowns than the Patriots this season.
• Last week, the Chargers had zero offensive snaps inside New England's 20-yard line and the Patriots offense had zero snaps inside Los Angeles' 30-yard line.
• The league average for converting a set of downs into a new set of downs is 70%. The Steelers offense is at 66%. New England's is at 64%. Only the Giants at 60% and the Jets at 57% are worse. However, New England's defense at 68% is better than every defense besides the Browns, Jets and Ravens and Pittsburgh's defense at 69% is tied for sixth best.
• In the last three weeks, New England's red zone offense (16.7%) is far and away worst in the league For the season, New England and Pittsburgh's red zone defenses are tied for sixth best at 45.7%.
• Only one team, Carolina, is starting its offensive drives with worse field position than Pittsburgh. But only three, including the Steelers, start off worse than New England.
• Over the past three games, Miami's defense leads the league allowing just 4.2 yards per play. But the Steelers are right behind at 4.3 and New England is at 4.4.
• The Steelers have trailed at the half in nine of 12 games this year and haven't scored a first half touchdown in their past three contests.
• 19.9% of the Patriots possessions have reached the red zone or scored prior, the lowest percentage in the league.
• New England games are averaging a league-low 33.5 combined points per game. The Patriots are the only one lower than Pittsburgh in this capacity, as Steelers games average 35.1 points per game.

WHEN PITTSBURGH HAS THE BALL

• The Steelers offense averages 4.9 yards per play, which is tied for 24^th. But over the past three games, Pittsburgh is producing 5.4 yards every time they snap the ball. New England's 4.9 allowed for the season is tied for sixth best. The Patriots allow just 4.4 over their last three games.
• Only four offenses use a specific personnel group more often than the Steelers use 11 Personnel (1 RB/1 TE), which Pittsburgh utilizes on 76.3% of their snaps.
• 23 different Patriot defensive players have been on the field for over 100 snaps this season, but Kyle Dugger (778), Jabril Peppers (761) and Ja'Whaun Bentley (651) are the only one with more than 597 defensive snaps played out of a possible 801.
• Last week was the fourth game in Kenny Pickett's career in which he left with an injury and was unable to return. The Steelers are 0-4 in those games.
• Mitch Trubisky was the Steelers quarterback in Week 2 last year when these teams last met. Over the course of three games this season, Trubisky has attempted 49 passes, completing 29 for 273 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
• Diontae Johnson has finished with 50 or fewer receiving yards in four straight games. In Trubisky's four full starts last year, Johnson had the Steelers highest target share (33.6%), receptions (31), and receiving yards (294). Since joining the Steelers, Trubisky has targeted Johnson 61 times, by far more than any other receiver.
• George Pickens averaged 3.07 yards per route run against the Cardinals and his 86 receiving yards were the most since Week 7. He has still seen six or fewer targets in six straight games and had just a 13.6% target share in Trubisky's four full games last season.
• Allen Robinson is yet to score a touchdown this season and hasn't eclipsed 30 receiving yards since Week 1.
• Pat Freiermuth has been targeted 16 over the past two weeks after seeing just 13 the rest of the season before that Bengals game. New England is giving up the sixth-fewest yards per game (37.8) to the tight end position.
• Matthew Judon, Ja'Whaun Bentley, and Christian Barmore lead the Patriots with four sacks apiece, but New England has 12 different defenders with at least one sack this season. And Judon hasn't played since Week 4. They failed to sack Justin Herbert last week. New England averages 2.0 sacks per game. Only four defenses are worse.
• Over the past four games, the Steelers are averaging 163 rushing yards per game. Najee Harris has 57 more carries than Jaylen Warren this season, but only 60 more rushing yards. In goal-to-go situations, Harris has out touched Warren 13-2. Over Pittsburgh's last five games, Warren is averaging 7.5 yards per carry compared to 4.6 for Harris.
• Pickett is the Steelers' third leading rusher, but is 547 yards behind Warren.
• New England held the Chargers to just 26 total rushing yards last week with a long run of just seven yards. Austin Ekeler's longest run was four yards. The Patriots defense is first in EPA against the run. Not only is New England's 3.2 yards allowed the best in the league, but the Patriots are giving up just 2.3 yards per carry over the past three games. The Steelers are generating 5.1 yards per carry over their past three games compared to 4.3 for the year. New England's run defense is best in the league in percentage of runs that gain 5-plus yards (25.6%) and 10-plus yards (6.5%).
• Pittsburgh produces 6.5 points on average in the first half of games. Only the Giants and Patriots are lower. In their last three games, New England has allowed 6.7 points in the first half. Only the Vikings and 49ers are better. In the second half of their past three games, the Patriots have given up just 2.0 points on average.
• Per EPA, only three defenses have faced a better slate of offenses this season than New England.

WHEN NEW ENGLAND HAS THE BALL

• The Patriots offense averages 4.7 yards per play, 28^th in the league. They are down to 4.4 over the past three games. The Steelers defense gives up 5.3 for the season, but just 4.3 over the past three.
• Only one offense in the NFL uses 12 Personnel (1 RB/2 TE) at a higher rate than New England. They are also have the sixth-highest usage of 13 Personnel (1 RB/3 TE) and 01 Personnel (0 RB/1 TE). And they are 27^th in their usage of 11 Personnel (1 RB/1 TE).
• In terms of EPA, only the Jets are worse than New England on a per drop back perspective this year, a metric that Pittsburgh's defense is seventh-best in currently.
• Through the air, teams are attacking the Steelers, on average, 8.56 yards downfield. Only four defenses face a higher average depth per target. However, the Steelers are allowing just a 60% completion rate, which is fourth-best in the NFL.
• Over the past two games, the Patriots have rushed for 295 yards, but passed for just 245.
• With the exception of quarterback Mac Jones, who isn't expected to start against the Steelers, the only Patriots offensive player to play more than 575 of a possible 771 snaps is David Andrews. Led by Andrews, New England has nine different offensive linemen that have played 154 or more snaps.
• Bailey Zappe has appeared in five games this season. He has attempted 64 passes, completing 32 for 299 yards. He has yet to throw a touchdown pass in 2023 and has two interceptions. Last year, Zappe had a 5/3 TD/INT ratio and completed 70.7% of his passes in four games. He has thrown for over 188 yards in a game just once in his career. Last week, Zappe was the first New England quarterback to make it through an entire game since Week 9.
• When these teams last met, Nelson Agholor and Jacoby Meyers combined for 15 catches for 205 yards on 19 targets, but neither is still with New England.
• This season, the Patriots have nine different pass catchers with between 154 and 410 receiving yards with running back Rhamondre Stevenson as their leading receiver. Stevenson won't play against the Steelers.
• JuJu Smith-Schuster and Tyquan Thornton played every snap last week when New England was in 11 Personnel. Smith-Schuster played 58 of a possible 63 offensive snaps. Thornton was on the field for 51 and DeVante Parker played 54. Thornton compiled a season high 27 routes run with Demario Douglass out of the lineup.
• Smith-Schuster has eclipsed 14 yards just once in his last eight games. Parker has been Zappe's most targeted (11) receiver and Parker's nine targets last week led the team.
• Tre McBride averaged 3.56 yards per route run against the Steelers defense last week. For the Patriots offense in Week 13, Hunter Henry was their best tight end in this regard, but produced just .62 yards per route run against the Chargers. Over his past eight games, Hunter Henry has caught just 15 passes for 137 yards.
• Mike Gesicki ran just four routes last week, easily his lowest number of the season (next closest: 11).
• Ezekiel Elliott had a season-high five targets, four catches, and 40 receiving yards last week.
• Zappe was sacked five times last week, two by Khalil Mack.
• New England rushed for 124 yards in Pittsburgh in Week 2 of last year.
• Despite only having Stevenson for nine carries and 16 snaps before leaving with injury, the Patriots ran the ball 32 times against the Chargers for 148 yards. Elliott then received 44 snaps, 17 carries and 17 routes run. No other true running back saw action in that game. Stevenson played every snap on New England's first two drives. Elliott averages 3.8 yards per carry, which ranks 35^th of 45 running backs with at least 70 rushing attempts.
• Zappe is contributing just 3.2 yards per game as a rusher.
• The Steelers are giving up 4.3 yards per rush, which is tied for 20^th, but Pittsburgh is allowing just 3.5 yards per carry over their past three games. Only New England and Tennessee are better over the past three.
• New England converted just four of 14 third down opportunities against the Chargers and the Patriots were one of three on fourth downs as well. For the season, the Patriots offense converts just 33.1% on third downs, 28^th in the league.
• The Patriots offense has the fewest plays of 20-plus yards in the league (25).
• New England has scored on 20.6% of its possessions, the lowest percentage in the NFL.
• In the first half of games this year, New England is producing just 5.8 points per game. Only the Giants are worse. Over the past three games, the Patriots have produced just one point on average in the first half. In the second half of games, the Patriots are last in the league, producing just 6.5 points. Over the past three games, that drops to 3.3 second half points per game. For the season, Pittsburgh's gives up 7.6 points in the second half of games and over its past three, that drops to 6.7.

SPECIAL TEAMS

• Chad Ryland has made just 12 of his 18 field goal attempts this season and didn't have an attempt last week. New England's opponents have made 11 more field goals than the Patriots.
• When combining kickoff and punt returns, New England is a distant 32^nd in EPA and is also last in EPA gained from field goals.

Most Memorable Moment:

Jan. 27, 2002: Patriots 24, Steelers 17, AFC Championship Game, Heinz Field

This is the Steelers' first matchup against Tom Brady, who was just 25 years old when this game occurred. Brady's squad was a huge underdog coming to Pittsburgh to play the top seed in the AFC. The Steelers had only lost three games all year. Brady was a relative unknown and this was his 16^th career start and New England had just snuck past the Raiders the previous week in what is now referred to as "The Tuck Game." The Patriots led this game 14-3 at halftime in what was a defensive struggle to that point, but Troy Brown got New England on the scoreboard first with a punt return for a touchdown. Brady had to leave the game late in the second quarter and was replaced by Drew Bledsoe who ignited the Patriots offense, ending the half with a touchdown pass to David Patten. The Steelers rallied late with Kordell Stewart at the controls, but it wasn't enough. New England went on to pull off another upset against "The Greatest Show on Turf" Rams beginning an amazing legacy for Brady, Bill Belichick and the Patriots of the 2000s.

KEY MATCHUPS

Patriots OC David Andrews vs. Steelers NT Keeanu Benton - This is a matchup that should have the Steelers in their base 3-4 defense a high percentage of the time. Benton has been very impressive as a rookie with a rare blend of quickness, athletic ability and power. But Andrews is the epitome of a solid veteran pivot man that knows every trick in the book. This matchup could go a long way toward determining how successful New England's interior run game is on Thursday night.

Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth vs. Patriots S Kyle Dugger - Dugger is an oversized safety that Belichick uses in a wide variety of ways. He will align in the box, on the line of scrimmage, occasionally as an outside cornerback and as a deep safety, either in a two-high shell or as a traditional centerfielder. Freiermuth's role has grown the past two weeks, but Dugger provides a stiff test.