Pittsburgh lost out on a golden opportunity.
A win against the hopeless New England Patriots, who came into Thursday Night Football with a 2-10 record and five consecutive losses, was all that was needed for the Pittsburgh Steelers to keep themselves in the middle of the playoff race.
Nevertheless, the Patriots breezed past the Steelers in the first quarter and held on for a 21-18 victory on the road in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at Acrisure Stadium. In a season that has been disappointing for the Patriots, backup quarterback Bailey Zappe threw for 240 yards and three touchdowns, helping them to break their losing streak.
The chance to make progress in their postseason run was ruined when the Patriots jumped out to an early 21-3 lead. Zappe connected with Ezekiel Elliott for a touchdown in the first quarter, and in the second quarter, the offense continued with two touchdown drives, with Zappe eventually connecting with tight end Hunter Henry.
Despite Diontae Johnson’s 25-yard touchdown reception bringing the Steelers within 21-10 at halftime, they were kept scoreless in the third quarter.
The Steelers were within striking distance in the fourth quarter thanks to a touchdown pass from Mitch Trubisky and a successful two-point conversion. However, they were unable to score on their subsequent three drives, leaving their home field with a disappointing loss and missed opportunity in a close AFC North game.
After losing, the Steelers’ divisional standing drops to 7-6, second to the Cleveland Browns’ 7-5, third to the Cincinnati Bengals’ 6-6, and fourth to the Baltimore Ravens’ 9-3.
Next week, the Steelers will take their game on the road to face the 7-5 Indianapolis Colts.
