The Pittsburgh Steelers will meet the New England Patriots this weekend at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. The Pats are coming off a win, while the Steelers lost to the Seahawks at home. Ultimately, both teams will be looking to improve upon their 1-1 record. It's time for some Steelers vs. Patriots bold predictions for Week 3.
Pittsburgh is currently the favorite, with -1.5 odds to win, according to FanDuel. So far, the line has wavered back and forth as both teams are similar with their inconsistent play through two weeks. The Steelers, especially, saw some hiccups when their rookie Kaleb Johnson made a critical error that likely cost them the game. Now, it will make what happens in Week 3 during this Steelers vs. Patriots tilt even more interesting.
Week 3 is here, and football fans are starting to get excited as the season begins to take shape. Both teams will look to go to 2-1. Who will succeed? It's time for three Steelers vs. Patriots bold predictions for Week 3 of the NFL season.
Drake Maye passes for 300+ yards against the Steelers' defense
This would have been virtually unheard of last season. Now, the Pittsburgh defense is mediocre, or worse. Drake Maye is the only key player left from the 2024 NFL draft, as the Pats have traded or waived every other. Notably, he has given New England fans hope and is a significant reason why they remain competitive. This weekend, Maye could go off against a Pittsburgh defense that looked vulnerable over the first two weeks.
Maye has never had a 300-yard game, getting close on two occasions. The first occasion happened last season, when he threw for 282 yards in a 28-22 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Recently, he tossed 287 yards with one touchdown and an interception in the Week 1 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. However, upon closer examination of the Pittsburgh defense's performance, they have already allowed one quarterback to exploit them.
Sam Darnold passed for 295 yards with two touchdowns in the Week 2 win against the Steelers. Alarmingly, they could not do anything against a quarterback who has struggled for most of his career. Maye has a golden opportunity to finally hit the 300-yard mark, especially against a defense that has not looked as good as it once was.
Steelers-Patriots will be a high-scoring game
Again, going back to last season, this would be unheard of. When these two teams last met in 2023, the Patriots won 21-18. Before that, in 2022, the Pats won 17-14. So far this season, the Steelers' defense has allowed an average of 28 points while the Pats' defense has allowed an average of 23.5 points.
These are not the great defenses fans once saw. Thus, it gives more credence to the fact that this could be a shootout, instead of the defensive slugfest we usually get. Aaron Rodgers will be ready to make plays, whether it's a pass to DK Metcalf or a dump-off to Jaylen Warren. Likewise, Maye will have the option of throwing to Stefon Diggs or finding Rhamondre Stevenson on the short side. Neither defense has done much to garner confidence with the public over the first two weeks.
Steelers vs. Patriots will go down to wire in Week 3
Out of all the Steelers vs. Patriots bold predictions, this one is not as risky. That is mainly because the games have always been close over the years. But this is different. Instead of two powerhouse teams slugging it out to the end, this game will be two mediocre teams attempting to find their way.
At the end of Week 3, one of these teams will be 2-1 (barring a shocking tie). The Steelers are determined to bounce back from an embarrassing home opener. Conversely, the Pats are looking to win their second game in a row while also snagging their first win at Gillette. Assuming that the game is high-scoring, there will be plenty of back-and-forth on both sides. Ultimately, it will come down to which quarterback can get the ball out quicker. Rodgers and Maye will both have challenges, as they fight behind contentious lines. Yet, both will find a way to get the ball to their receivers.
The Steelers will make sure the Patriots work hard for this game. In the end, this has all the makings of a contest that goes down to the wire. This will be the case for Maye to make his mark. Subsequently, he will find his open receivers on a game-winning drive that will set up the winning field goal by kicker Andres Borregales. Not only will this seal the win for the Pats, but it will also be a redemption story for a kicker who has struggled mightily over the first two weeks.
