The New England Patriots, amidst a challenging season, experienced a notable triumph on Thursday with an unexpected 21-18 road victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Despite their offensive struggles this season, the Patriots displayed a strong start, securing three touchdowns in the first half, all orchestrated by quarterback Bailey Zappe.
This success proved pivotal as the Patriots put an end to their five-game losing streak, capitalizing on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ inability to mount a comeback, especially with backup QB Mitchell Trubisky filling in for the injured Kenny Pickett.
With this result, the Patriots’ season record improved to 3-10. Conversely, it marks another setback for the Steelers, who suffered a second consecutive damaging loss following their defeat to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 13.
The Steelers, historically strong at home against teams with 10-plus losses, faced an unprecedented challenge by becoming only the second team in NFL history to lose consecutive home games in this scenario, according to NFL Research.
This defeat not only dents the Steelers’ playoff aspirations but also drops them to eighth place in the AFC standings with six losses on the season.
Addressing the team’s response to these setbacks in the postgame press conference, Coach Mike Tomlin emphasized the importance of looking forward and moving past the challenges.
