The New England Patriots beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 20-3 on Sunday, and the difference was efficiency. The Steelers ran 67 plays and won the time of possession, yet converted just 2 of 12 third downs and averaged about 3 yards per pass.
New England did more with less. The Patriots ran 14 fewer plays but averaged about 6 yards per snap, well ahead of Pittsburgh's rate, and got a fourth-quarter defensive touchdown to close it out.
How It Happened
New England struck first in the opening quarter. With 8:22 left, TreVeyon Henderson broke a 39-yard touchdown run, and Andy Borregales added the extra point for a 7-0 lead.
Borregales pushed it to 10-0 with a 30-yard field goal early in the second quarter. Pittsburgh's only answer came as the half expired, when Chris Boswell hit a 56-yard field goal to make it 10-3 at the break.
The third quarter was a grind until late. Borregales connected from 45 yards with 43 seconds left in the period, stretching the lead to 13-3.
The game ended as a contest early in the fourth. At 13:37, Elijah Ponder scooped up a Pittsburgh fumble and returned it 19 yards for a touchdown, and Borregales' kick made it 20-3. Neither team scored again.
Key Performers
Rushing TD: TreVeyon Henderson – 39 YDS, 1 TD
Fumble Return TD: Elijah Ponder – 19 YDS, 1 TD
Kicking: Andy Borregales – FG from 30 and 45 YDS, 2 extra points
Kicking: Chris Boswell – FG from 56 YDS
Henderson's run set the tone for a New England ground game that finished with 136 yards. Ponder's return turned an even turnover battle into a lopsided one on the scoreboard.
PIT Passing: 23-40, 144 net YDS, 1 INT, 4 sacks for 43 YDS lost
PIT Rushing: 23 ATT, 91 YDS, 4.0 per carry
NE Passing: 14-22, 191 net YDS, 1 INT, 3 sacks for 17 YDS lost
NE Rushing: 28 ATT, 136 YDS, 4.9 per carry
The sack numbers add to the picture of Pittsburgh's passing game. The Steelers lost 43 yards on 4 sacks, far more than New England gave up on its 3.
What It Means
Both teams now sit at 1-1, and both carry the same home-road split. New England is 1-0 at home and 0-1 on the road; Pittsburgh is 1-0 at home and 0-1 away.
For the Patriots, the win at Gillette Stadium came from efficiency and a defense that scored for itself. They managed only 15 first downs, but 7 came on the ground, compared with 4 rushing first downs for Pittsburgh.
For the Steelers, the road loss exposes an offense that ran plenty of plays but got little from them. They reached the red zone once and came away empty, and Boswell's long kick was their only score. Possession time and play volume favored Pittsburgh; yards per play, yards per pass and third-down conversions favored New England.
The turnover count was even at 2 apiece, which makes the margin more damning. New England turned one of Pittsburgh's giveaways into a defensive touchdown, while Pittsburgh's defense did not score.