Steelers vs. Patriots: What they're saying in New England after 21-18 win

For the first time this season, the New England Patriots had some life. Thanks to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Sports writers for the Boston Globe and Boston Herald remarked Thursday night’s game in Pittsburgh was actually entertaining. All at the Steelers expense.

“How refreshing, how fulfilling, how doggone good did it feel to watch decent football again?” wrote Andrew Callahan, Patriots beat reporter for the Boston Herald. “Thursday brought scoring, stakes and a tight finish. For three sweet hours, the doldrums of this miserable season felt distant.”

The Patriots topped the Steelers Thursday night at Acrisure Stadium 21-18, improving their record to 3-10. It was the second consecutive game the Steelers lost to a team that had only two wins on the season after a similarly pathetic performance against the Arizona Cardinals four days earlier.

The #Patriots have now scored more points in the first 15+ minutes at Pittsburgh than they did over the last 4+ weeks *combined.*

— Andrew Callahan (@_AndrewCallahan) December 8, 2023

The Patriots came out firing — 115 yards of offense in the first quarter, an opening drive touchdown and a 37-yard catch was the longest this year by former Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, reported Ben Volin, senior NFL writer at the Boston Globe. The Steelers never recovered.

”First time all season the Patriots are playing complementary football,” he wrote on social media.

The Patriots snapped a five-game losing streak on Pittsburgh turf. Smith-Schuster’s reception during the opening drive led to a Patriots touchdown to take a 7-0 lead early.

“I think that first catch set the tone for our offense on the first drive,” he told reporters after the game.

Running back Ezekiel Elliott was happy to finally give the defense some help. Elliott had a touchdown in the first half.

“We definitely needed this, it’s been a minute since we got a win, it’s been a minute since we knew how this felt and so it was great for these guys to come out here and get this win,” he told NFL Network’s Mike Garofalo.

Related:

• Airing of Grievances: Impotent offense, disappointing defense, scattered coaching as Steelers gag against Patriots
• Steelers suffer 2nd straight embarrassing home loss, falling to last-place Patriots
• ‘I feel like I let the guys down:’ Mitch Trubisky struggles in 1st start in a year for Steelers

The team, despite a losing season, is still trying to put points on the scoreboard, center David Andrews told reporters.

“No one’s quitting in this locker room. We’re fighting and working to get better,” he said.

Fans in Pittsburgh now chanting for Mason Rudolph -- and loudly

— Dakota Randall (@DakRandall) December 8, 2023

New England Sports Network Patriots beat reporter Dakota Randall had a simple question: “What got into the Patriots?” Most likely, a reeling Steelers team.

“If only for just one night, the Patriots had reason to feel good about themselves,” he wrote.

Other sportswriters used words such as listless, ill-prepared and sloppy to describe the Steelers play. Dan Scifo from the Associated Press reported that the Steelers are the first team in NFL history with a winning record to lose consecutive games to teams that both were at least eight games below .500, allowing their playoff hopes to take a serious hit.

“The past two games exposed that maybe the Steelers are bad,” Yahoo! Sports’ Frank Schwab wrote. “Or at least strangely disinterested for a team in the AFC playoff race.”

Patriots backup quarterback Bailey Zappe received widespread praise as made his second start of the season and fourth of his career.

“Zap was balling tonight,” running back Elliott said, according to the Boston Herald. “He commands our attention in that huddle. He was out there making the checks, making the points; just has so much confidence and the offense definitely can feel that.”

Zappe connected with receivers on 19 of 28 passes for 240 yards. He threw three touchdowns and one interception with the majority of his production coming in the first half. Zappe told reporters he’s been gaining confidence working with his teammates.

“They help me out a lot. They deserve today,” he said. “So to be able to have this moment, have it with these guys, to be able to go out there and have a game that we had was awesome.”

Bailey Zappe was dealing in the first half:
14/21, 196 yards, 3 TD

Mitch Trubisky, not so much:

6/11, 61 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) December 8, 2023