NFL powerhouses New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers meet on Sunday night
Two of the AFC's top teams will go head-to-head in the NFL's Sunday nighter when the New England Patriots travel to Heinz Field in Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers on Sunday 14 November.
Previous meetings and recent games
Sunday night's meeting between the Steelers and Patriots pits two teams who have won five of the last nine Super Bowls.
In head-to-head meetings since 2001, the Patriots have dominated the Steelers winning five out of the seven times they've met, although the Steelers won the most recent matchup in New England by a score of 33-10 back on November 30, 2008.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been one of the NFL's best teams this season, and with the Ravens loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night, have a chance to take sole possession of first place in the AFC North. The Steelers are coming off a 27-21 win over
the Cincinnati Bengals in their most recent game.
One week ago the Patriots were alone with the NFL's best record and seemed certain to increase their dominance on the league when they took on the Cleveland Browns. But the Browns upset the Patriots 34-14, and demonstrated to the rest of the league how the
Patriots could be defeated.
How they matchup
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady will go up against the Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger who missed the Steelers first four games of the season after violating the league's personal conduct policy. Brady has had a solid season and has been instrumental in leading
his team to the 6-2 record they currently enjoy. Although the Steelers won three of their four games without him, having Roethlisberger in the lineup has changed the dynamic of the offence.
Roethlisberger gives the Steelers far more options through the air because of his throwing ability and his chemistry with the Steelers receiving corps. Unlike Brady who is looked upon as the leader on every down, Roethlisberger also has a reliable running
back to hand the ball to. Rashard Mendenhall has been a workhorse for the Steelers this season and has carried the ball 702 yards after eight games.
The one area of the field where there is a major discrepancy between these two teams is defensively. The Steelers boast one of the league's most feared and most punishing defences. Steelers linebacker James Harrison has even racked up $100,000 worth of fines
for three separate incidences of illegal hits. The New England Patriots, on the other hand, have seen several otherwise anemic offences look good against them over the course of the season.
What to expect
The Patriots have a solid team and have been winning games, but they haven't struck fear in the minds of any of their opponents. What happened last week also sent a signal to the rest of the league that Bill Belichick and his men are very vincible.
If the Steelers can move the ball along the ground the way the Browns did they will be well on their way to a win. Both of New England's losses this season have come on the road, and the Steelers are a tough team to beat at home.
Steelers win 24-20.
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