By many metrics, the Patriots dominated the Steelers on Sunday afternoon at Gillette Stadium.
New England closed out that Week 3 matchup with the edge over Pittsburgh in multiple offensive categories, including:
Total yards: 369-203
First Downs: 26-17
Time of Possession: 33:20 to 26:40
Punts: 1 for New England, 4 for the Steelers
Of course, the Steelers led in the most important category — points scored — by the end of the afternoon. New England ultimately dropped a 21-14 loss to Aaron Rodgers and Co.
It was a frustrating setback for Drake Maye and the Patriots, who managed to regularly move down the field efficiently against Pittsburgh’s defense after a sluggish start.
New England committed a whopping five turnovers — two of which came on Pittsburgh’s two-yard line.
Given the optics of the Patriots letting a winnable game slip through their fingers, former New England center David Andrews drew some parallels between Sunday’s Week 3 loss and New England’s defeat in Super Bowl LII against the Eagles.
The stakes were clearly much higher in that bout between Tom Brady and Nick Foles in February 2018.
But, New England’s inability to cap off a strong offensive performance with a victory against Pittsburgh brought back plenty of bad memories for Andrews.
“Playing in this game this week — kind of reminds me of the ’17 Super Bowl,” Andrews said Monday on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Zolak & Bertrand” show. “Like, offensively, we broke records for yards that game, and then we had the one play — the strip sack — but it wasn’t five turnovers.
“But that was a game — I walked away feeling like, ‘Man, we dominated that game and should have won that game.’ It was the highest-scoring Super Bowl for the Patriots, and we lost that game.”
Brady posted one of the best games of his career in that game against Philadelphia, throwing for 505 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions on a night where New England outgained the Eagles, 618-538.
Unlike Sunday’s Week 3 loss to Pittsburgh where turnovers loomed large, the Patriots were done in against the Eagles due to a dreadful showing from New England’s defense.
Foles threw for 373 yards and three touchdowns, while LeGarrette Blount led an Eagles rushing attack that averaged 6.1 yards per carry.
“That’s the one game I think about the most in my career,” Andrews said. “I talked to [former Patriots offensive line coach] Dante [Scarnecchia] about it and I was like ‘You think about it. He’s like, ‘No.’ I’m like, ‘Well, I did.’”