Steelers Color Rush was ruined thanks to Bailey Zappe threw three first-half touchdown passes en route to a 21-18 victory here Thursday night at Acrisure Stadium with that the team also snapped a five-game losing streak.
The Patriots led 21-10 at halftime, then relied on their defense the rest of the way.
The Patriots have had four previous wins under Belichick when being held scoreless in the second half, with the last such victory coming in Week 2 of the 2013 season
“I thought a really great job by the players and the coaches this week,” Belichick said. “Obviously a short week and a tough, disappointing game last week [6-0 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers], but they came in and had a good week of preparation. I thought the guys played with a lot of effort, energy, toughness and resiliency.”
Zappe enjoyed perhaps the best showing of his professional career, tossing three first-half touchdowns to vanquish the Steelers and shock the NFL world.
It’s been a turgid run for Bailey Zappe in recent weeks. The Patriots quarterback struggled to find his rhythm amid a cavalcade of defenders, entering Thursday’s clash with two interceptions to zero touchdowns and just 299 yards passing in five appearances this year.
He flourished in the pocket, showcasing improved accuracy while rifling arrows to the likes of Hunter Henry and Juju Smith-Schuster.
He tossed a delightful feather to Henry for his third score of the night, one of the better throws of his young career. And although he was occasionally flustered by a rampant pass rush that included T.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward and Alex Highsmith, Zappe by and large stood upright to the challenge. Pittsburgh’s defense is no slouch. On Thursday, neither was Zappe.
The win may have resulted in a bit frustratingly for New England fans, who have their eyes on the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but don’t fear, the Patriots remain in the No. 2 spot, right behind the Panthers. Meanwhile, the loss for the Steelers dropped the wild-card occupants out of the playoff, plummeting from the No. 5 seed to eighth in the AFC.
Steelers Color Rush ruined
The Steelers have made a habit of digging themselves into holes this season.
The loss, the second-in-a-row for the Steelers, drops them to 7-6 this season and puts any playoff hopes in jeopardy. The Steelers came into the game sitting in the 5th spot in the AFC playoff field. New England improves to 3-10.
“They made the necessary plays; we didn’t,” said Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. “(I) thought we fought in the second half, but to come up short on the turnover in terms of the points is the difference in the game.”
With Mitch Trubisky starting in place of injured Kenny Pickett, the offense faltered early. It was Trubisky’s first start since leading the Steelers to a win at Carolina in Week 14 of last season.