Patriots vs. Steelers live updates: Score, news, discussion from NFL Week 2

The New England Patriots began their 2026 regular season on the wrong foot. Dropping their opener against the world champion Seattle Seahawks , they have started their second campaign under head coach Mike Vrabel with an 0-1 record.

In order to improve to 1-1 and get their first victory of the season, the Patriots will have to defend their home turf against a Pittsburgh Steelers team that did win in Week 1. A win over Pittsburgh would not just mean a return to .500 on the year for New England , though, but also the first W in a home opener since the 2020 season.

Sunday, Sept. 20, 1 p.m. ET | Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, MA) | Broadcast information | Inactives | Game day roster | Weather forecast

The Patriots started the game on defense, and with a quick three-and-out. New England allowed just three combined yards on two Steelers carry, while Aaron Rodgers ' decision to target Christian Gonzalez on the game's first third down led to an incompletion and subsequent punt.

New England's first offensive series started well, with Drake Maye completing passes to DeMario Douglas and Hunter Henry to move the unit into Steelers territory. However, the drive came to a quick and disappointing end when Rhamondre Stevenson lost a fumble on his second touch of the day.

Before even starting their next series, a taunting penalty against safety Jalen Ramsey backed the Steelers up at their own 16-yard line. Things did not get better for Rodgers and company from that point on: a short run was followed by Gabe Jacas forcing a throwaway and another incompletion on third down.

Marcus Jones gained 19 yards on his first punt return of the day, allowing the Patriots to begin their second drive on the Pittsburgh 49-yard line. It could have been a quick one, with a 10-yard Jalen Ramsey sack on third down seemingly ending the series. However, a defensive offsides penalty negated the play and gave New England another chance. TreVeyon Henderson took advantage of it: not only did he convert the subsequent 3rd-and-1, he followed it up with a 39-yard touchdown run on the very next play. | Patriots 7 : 0 Steelers

After keeping the Steelers offense in check for the first two series, the unit did find some rhythm on its third. It did not matter: a well-time Robert Spillane blitz forced an incompletion on 3rd-and-6 in New England territory, while Pittsburgh kicker Chris Boswell sent the ensuing 57-yard field goal try wide to the left.

The Patriots offense continued to look good early into its next possession, quickly moving to the Pittsburgh side of the field again. Romeo Doubs caught his first pass as a Patriot, Rhamondre Stevenson converted a 3rd-and-1 after returning to the field following his fumble, and Drake Maye hit Eli Raridon for a 30-yard gain. However, once in the red zone, the unit ran into trouble: a Morgan Moses false start was followed by a 3-yard sack — a play that saw Mike Onwenu suffer an ankle injury. The right guard was carted off the field and quickly ruled out with an ankle injury.

Coming out of the quarter break, another sack led to the Patriots bringing out Andy Borregales . The second-year kickers split the uprights from 30 yards out to extend his team's lead. | Patriots 10 : 0 Steelers

The Patriots had a chance to quickly end the Steelers' first possession of the second quarter, but the offense was able to move the sticks on a 4th-and-1 to keep the series alive. The drive did take 6:50 off the clock and saw Pittsburgh march into potential scoring range, but it ended with a Christian Elliss/Robert Spillane doube-team sack of Aaron Rodgers: the veteran quarterback lost the ball, with neither team able to scoop it up before Steelers left tackle Troy Fautanu did so back at the Pittsburgh 42 — a net loss of 36 yards to set up a 4th-and-43.

New England's offense struggled to find its footing on the next drive, even though a roughing the pass call and 10-yard completion to Mack Hollins allowed the team to move from deep into its own territory to a more comfortable position on the field. However, the series advanced no further than the 38-yard line and eventually ended in a 54-yard Mitch Wishnowsky punt.

New England's defense again did its job on the next drive. Although the Steelers gained two first downs — one via a 14-yard Travis Homer run, the other on a pass interference call against Kevin Byard — they eventually stalled after crossing midfield. An incomplete pass on 3rd-and-9 in the area of Marcus Jones prompted Pittsburgh head coach Mike McCarthy to send out his punting unit for the fourth time in the first half.

The Patriots offense had a chance to double-dip before and after the half, but they struggled to get their offense going in the late second quarter. The series began with a 12-yard sack against Drake Maye, and the team opted to be conservative from that point on. Unfortunately for New England, that approach allowed the Steelers to get the ball back with 40 seconds left on the clock.

While Pittsburgh was unable to turn its next possession into a touchdown, it did manage to cut into the Patriots' 10-point lead when Chris Boswell scored a 56-yard field goal as time expired on the first half. | Patriots 10 : 3 Steelers

The Patriots flirted with a three-and-out to start their first drive of the second half, but Drake Maye moved out the pocket on 3rd-and-5 and found Romeo Dobbs for a 29-yard gain. However, one play later disaster struck: the second-year quarterback attempted a deep pass to Hunter Henry off his back foot and was easily intercepted by linebacker Patrick Queen .

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