Trending
Records: New England (2-10); Pittsburgh (7-5)
Kickoff: Tonight, 8:15 p.m., Amazon Prime
Opening line: Steelers by 5.5, according to FanDuel Sportsbook
Against the spread: Patriots 2-10; Steelers 7-5
Series record: Patriots lead 18-16
Last meeting: Patriots beat Steelers 17-14 on Sept. 22, 2022, in Pittsburgh
Last week: Patriots lost to Chargers 6-0; Steelers lost to Cardinals 24-10
Patriots offense: OVERALL (28), RUSH (23), PASS (21), SCORING (32)
Patriots defense: OVERALL (15), RUSH (16), PASS (3), SCORING (8)
Steelers offense: OVERALL (26), RUSH (14), PASS (28), SCORING (28)
Steelers defense: OVERALL (25), RUSH (22), PASS (24), SCORING (5)
Turnover differential: Patriots minus-9; Steelers plus-10
Patriots player to watch: TE Hunter Henry. Henry's numbers have dipped over the past six weeks in conjunction with a nosedive by New England's offense. There may be a chance for Hunter to get loose against a Steelers defense that is woefully thin at inside linebacker and struggled at times to keep opposing tight ends in check. With QB Bailey Zappe likely to face plenty of pressure, Henry could be pretty busy as a safety valve in the middle of the field.
Steelers player to watch: QB Mitch Trubisky. The veteran will make his first start in nearly a year in place of the injured Kenny Pickett, who is out indefinitely after undergoing right ankle surgery. Given Pickett's uneven play during his second season, the next month could provide an opportunity for Trubisky to resurrect his career, be it in Pittsburgh or elsewhere.
Key matchup: Pittsburgh's offensive line against New England's defensive front. The Steelers believe their identity is built on the running game and in Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris, Pittsburgh has one of the best running back tandems in the league. The Steelers figure to try and establish the ground game early in part to take some of the pressure off Trubisky, who is making his first start in nearly a year. The Patriots are third in the league against the run. If they can force the occasionally mistake-prone Trubisky to pass, there's a chance Trubisky could throw a 50/50 ball that ends up in the wrong hands.
Key injuries: New England WR JuJu Smith-Schuster (ankle), who began his career with Pittsburgh, is questionable … Patriots DL Christian Barmore (shoulder), T Trent Brown (ankle/hand) and WR DeVante Parker (knee) are also questionable. … New England WR Kayshon Boutte (shoulder), WR Demario Douglas (concussion), OL Reilly Reiff (knee), RB Rhamondre Stevenson (ankle) and CB Shaun Wade (illness) are out. … Steelers QB Kenny Pickett will miss the next few weeks with a high right ankle sprain. … Pittsburgh DT Montravius Adams (ankle) expects to play after missing the past three games. … RB Najee Harris (knee), LB Elandon Roberts (groin), C Mason Cole (neck) and G Isaac Seumalo (shoulder) are questionable.
Series notes: The Patriots have won 9 of 12 meetings with the Steelers since Mike Tomlin arrived in Pittsburgh in 2007. The Steelers are 12-11 all time at home against the Patriots, but are 2-6 in New England's past eight trips to Acrisure Stadium.