New England Patriots intercept six passes in 36-7 Week 2 rout of Pittsburgh Steelers

Foxborough, MA - Six interceptions highlighted a dominant statistical showing for the New England Patriots, who defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 36-7 in Week 2.

New England finished with advantages in passing yards, rushing yards, first downs and offensive yards. The Patriots gained 334 offensive yards to Pittsburgh's 243, with Drake Maye completing 23 of 33 passes for 274 yards, one touchdown and one interception. His 92.2 passer rating was the best among the three quarterbacks who appeared in the game.

The Patriots spread their passing production across several targets. Hunter Henry caught six passes for 64 yards, Romeo Doubs finished with five receptions for 61 yards and a touchdown, and A.J. Brown added three catches for 59 yards. Brown's 37-yard reception was New England's longest completion.

"There were a lot of different guys involved, and that's encouraging," Maye said. "I still had the interception, so I'm not looking at it like everything was perfect. But when you win by that margin, you appreciate what the whole team put together."

The sharpest contrast appeared in the turnover numbers. New England's defense recorded six interceptions and three sacks. Pittsburgh's defense also produced three sacks, but finished with one interception.

Aaron Rodgers completed 13 of 26 passes for 125 yards and one touchdown, but he was intercepted five times and finished with a 37.0 passer rating. Drew Allar completed five of six attempts for 73 yards and was responsible for Pittsburgh's other interception.

"You can't put the ball at risk that many times and expect to like the result," Rodgers said. "Five interceptions is on me. We had some players produce in the passing game, but seven points is nowhere near the standard we're looking for."

DK Metcalf led the Steelers' scoring production with five receptions for 60 yards and a touchdown. Pat Freiermuth paced Pittsburgh in receiving yards, catching five passes for 72 yards with a long reception of 32 yards. Even with those contributions, the Steelers finished with 181 passing yards as a team and 13 first downs.

New England also held the rushing advantage, 82-62. TreVeyon Henderson accounted for 64 yards on 17 carries and scored a rushing touchdown, while Maye added 13 yards on three attempts. Pittsburgh's Rico Dowdle rushed 11 times for 41 yards, including a 14-yard gain.

The teams also produced different results in scoring territory. The Patriots made six red-zone trips, recording two touchdowns and two field goals. Pittsburgh reached the red zone three times and finished with one touchdown and no field goals.

New England converted 6 of 15 third downs and succeeded on its lone fourth-down attempt. Pittsburgh went 3-for-9 on third down and 0-for-2 on fourth down. The Patriots finished with 17 first downs, four more than the Steelers.

Pittsburgh did receive individual production from Alex Highsmith, who recorded one sack and the Steelers' only interception. Highsmith returned the interception 16 yards and was credited with one pass deflection.

"There were a few things defensively that we can take from this, but the score is the score," Highsmith said. "Giving up 36 and losing by that kind of margin means there's plenty for us to correct. The takeaway doesn't change how disappointing the result is."

For New England, the 29-point victory came with 252 team passing yards, 82 rushing yards and a defense that intercepted every Pittsburgh quarterback who appeared. For the Steelers, the six interceptions and a 1-for-3 red-zone touchdown rate stood out in a game that ended with only seven points on the scoreboard.

Up Next

The New England Patriots will travel to face the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 3, while the Pittsburgh Steelers return home looking to rebound against the Cincinnati Bengals.