New England Patriots improve to league best 7-2 record with win over the Pittsburgh Steelers
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady outdueled Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger as the Patriots went on to win 39-26 on Sunday 14 November.
How it happened
Brady and Roethlisberger combined for 737 passing yards on the day as each completed 30 passes and three touchdowns. One huge difference was the one interception thrown by Roethlisberger which ended up being returned 32 yards for a touchdown by safety James
Sanders.
Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski caught five passes on the day, three of which ended up in the end zone for touchdowns.
Mike Wallace, one of the league leaders in yards per reception, was Roethlisberger's main target catching eight passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns, including a 33-yard catch for a touchdown which proved to be the longest scoring play of the night.
Steelers primary receiver Hines Ward was forced to leave the game late in the first quarter with a concussion. Although the play in which Ward picked up the injury was originally ruled a catch it was later reversed meaning it was ruled an incomplete pass.
As Ward did not return he saw his streak of 186 games with at least one reception come to an end.
What they're saying
The Patriots came up a with big win over one of the AFC's top teams which was a welcome rebound after losing last week to the Cleveland Browns.
"We made big plays when we needed to make them," Brady told reporters after the game. "It's an exciting game for us in this locker room. We haven't been this happy in a long time. We're pretty good when we execute the right way."
The Steelers chance to be tops in the AFC slipped away as they blew the opportunity to win with home field advantage.
"I don't think they did anything to confuse us, that we didn't expect," Ben Roethlisberger said after the game. "They flat out beat us."
What it all means
Thanks to the Baltimore Ravens loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday, the Steelers have the same record as the Ravens, but fall to second place in the AFC North by virtue of the Ravens week 4 win over the Steelers earlier in the season. The Steelers get
set to host a resurgent Oakland Raiders side who have won three in a row and are also coming off their bye week.
The Patriots continue to win against stiff competition. They'll have another big test next Sunday 21 November when they host Peyton Manning and the AFC South leading Indianapolis Colts.
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