SCOUTING THE PATRIOTS

Last meeting

Patriots beat Steelers, 21-18, on Dec. 7, 2003, in Pittsburgh

Key matchup

Patriots OLB Harold Landry vs. Steelers RT Troy Fautanu

Signed in March to a $43.5 million, three-year contract, Landry is tied for the NFL lead in sacks through two weeks with 3 1/2. He most often rushes wide from the left side of the defense, where Fautanu will be responsible for him. Pro Football Focus grades Fautanu 19th in pass blocking among 27 NFL right tackles who have at least 100 pass block snaps.

Key injuries

The Steelers again will be without two starting defensive backs this week. Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. (hamstring) and safety DeShon Elliott (knee) were ruled out for a second straight game with injuries. The Steelers also will be without outside linebacker Alex Highsmith (ankle). For the Patriots, cornerback Christian Gonzalez (hamstring) is questionable to play, along with fullback Jack Westover (hamstring) and defensive end Keion White (illness). Without Gonzalez, the Patriots have allowed a league-high 677 passing yards the first two weeks.

Series record

Patriots lead 19-16

Series notes

The regular-season all-time series is tied 15-15. … Including playoffs, the Steelers have lost eight of their past nine and 15 of their past 19 against New England. Through a January 1998 playoff meeting, the Steelers had a 12-4 all-time record against the Patriots. … New England has won four of five postseason games, including three AFC championship contests (after the 2001, 2004 and 2016 seasons). … The Patriots’ 36-17 victory in the 2016 AFC championship game started a six-game postseason losing streak for the Steelers that remains active. … Though quarterback Tom Brady was 12-4 (including those three AFC title games) in his career against the Steelers, in 2022 and 2023 the Steelers lost home games to the Patriots in which New England’s starting quarterbacks were Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe, respectively. … The Steelers haven’t played at Gillette Stadium since 2019. … Each of the Steelers’ past two regular-season games in Foxborough, Mass., came during primetime season openers with the Patriots as reigning Super Bowl champions (2015, 2019). … The Patriots are 8-4 at home against the Steelers (including playoffs) and 6-1 against them at Gillette Stadium.

Notable

Twenty-one-year NFL veteran and current Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has made only two career starts at New England, losing both (in 2018 while with the Green Bay Packers and last season while with the New York Jets). … Patriots coach Mike Vrabel is 0-3 lifetime as a head coach against the Steelers, with all of those meetings coming while he was coaching the Tennessee Titans (2020, 2021, 2023). … A third-round draft pick of the Steelers in 1997, Vrabel never started a game for the team but immediately became a starter after signing with New England in 2001. His first of 20 career playoff games played was with the Steelers against the Patriots, but two of the four AFC championship games he played in were with New England and wins against the Steelers. … Familiar former Steelers on New England’s roster include backup quarterback Josh Dobbs and inside linebacker Robert Spillane. … The Steelers over the past two weeks have signed two players who were multi-year recent starters for the Patriots: safety Jabrill Peppers and inside linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley. … In five career games against the Steelers (including playoffs), veteran New England wide receiver Stefon Diggs has 36 catches. … In two career games against the Patriots, veteran Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf has 14 catches.

Fantasy tip

Patriots quarterback Drake Maye ranked third among all quarterbacks in fantasy points (using standard scoring) over the course of NFL Week 2 last weekend. In 14 career full games he has played, Maye has 451 rushing yards despite having very few designed runs for him in the offensive scheme.

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