FOXBOROUGH - Look, we’re not about to confuse the ‘26 Steelers offense with the ‘99 Rams or the ‘13 Broncos, but anytime you can take an Aaron Rodgers-led team and stuff it into a locker as the Patriots did, let’s give credit where credit is due. The Patriots defense showed up in a major way, picking up Drake Maye and company en route to their first win of the season.
Plus, let’s face it, there’s something perversely enjoyable about seeing Rodgers trudging toward the sideline, his chinstrap all askew, after his late-game fumble that turned into an Elijah Ponder touchdown. That put any thoughts, hopes, or dreams of a comeback right back where they belonged - in a port-a-potty in the Gillette Stadium parking lot.
“That has to be the formula,” an excitable Mike Vrabel said postgame. “You have to affect the quarterback each and every week. … Proud of our defense.”
‘We did really good,” linebacker Christian Ellis said. “Taking the ball away is a number one priority. There’s always going to be things you want to clean up…things that we get to the sideline and say, ‘Dang, they got us on this.’ But for the most part, we responded well, even when they got in the red zone, played good defense and got the ball back.”
When the game was still in the balance - until the scoop-and-score by Ponder - the Pats were in all-out attack mode. Per SumerSports, they blitzed 47% of the time (finished at 42%) and had that same 47% pressure rate. Elliss was a huge part of that, turning a long 2nd-quarter Steelers drive that looked destined for at least 3 points into a remarkable field position swing. Elliss damn near decapitated Rodgers, popped the ball loose, pushed Pittsburgh back 36 yards (I still can’t believe that, but it’s true), and forced a punt.
“It was a great play call,” Elliss said of defensive coordinator Zak Kuhr. “Was able to get exactly what we wanted. I came free. Rodgers wasn’t looking, so I laid a hit.”
“You know, we talked all week about who was going to be the most physical team, and that was - obviously - going to be the team to win the game,” Kevin Byard said. “I felt like guys made an effort to go out there and play fast and play physical. So it was very good to get a win. Obviously, to hold a Hall of Fame quarterback and their offense to three points felt really good.”
This defensive performance went beyond physicality and the pressure packages Kuhr drew up. That’s because unlike last week, when the Pats rarely impacted the Seahawks on non-blitz downs, this day felt significantly different. The defensive line put on their big-boy pants and won decisively in the trenches.
“Coach (Vrabel) got on our ass about all week in practice,” Christian Barmore said. “We got to get to the middle of the pocket. We got to put our hands up. We got to put pressure on the quarterback. That was our goal, and we took that personally”
“We just got to go out there and dominate,” Ponder said. “I think this week, (with) Aaron, we gotta pressure him, put people in the face, and get the ball out. That was a big thing.”
It also doesn’t hurt to have big-money cornerback Christian Gonzalez playing at the same level I wrote about during the summer. He’s ascended to a higher plane, completely taking D.K. Metcalf out of the game (in man coverage, 7 targets, just 2 catches for 8 yards). It went beyond the stat line. It was the ongoing conversation between plays, where Gonzalez was so far in Metcalf’s head that he probably got his Social Security number and his girlfriend’s cell.
“I don't think he had a lot of fun at all,” Byard said. “I don't know how many catches he had, but it wasn't a whole lot. And I think anytime I'm lined up in the post and I see Gonzo out there at number one or on the outside, I have full confidence that I don't really need to give him any help.”
“Our challenge was to be more physical as a defense, so I think we did that,” Gonzalez said, adding the matchup with Metcalf that, “It’s always fun seeing their best guy, going out there and competing. That’s what you love as a corner…competing against the best.”
The Patriots have assuaged some of the fears about this brutal September slate, though now must figure out who’s available - they lost Dre’Mont Jones, Craig Woodson and Dell Pettus to in-game injuries (they were also without Carlton Davis). It will be challenging to find the right approach for what promises to be a hot, humid trip to Jacksonville next weekend. But for now, the Pats are back to even, and they’re doing it by being a defense-first football team, at least for now.