Looking Ahead: Week 16

Like the team itself, Steelers fans will probably enjoy the win over Denver for about 12-24 hours before turning their collective attention to next weekend.

The Steelers travel to Baltimore for a 1:00PM matchup with the shell of what was formerly the Ravens.  Will the Steelers take care of business and pound what is now an undermanned team?  Or will the cumulative effects of playing four emotional games (okay, the blow-up over Indianapolis might not have been that emotionally taut) catch-up to the Steelers?

Meanwhile, in New Jersey, the Patriots will head to the Meadowlands looking to solidify their position as the #1 seed in the AFC, thereby assuring a bye week.  The other team ahead of the Steelers in the playoff race, Kansas City, hosts Cleveland.

Steelers @ New England: The Matchups

Last season, when these two teams met, the New England Patriots' offense was performing at a level that seems even more incredible with the passage of time:

Average yards per game ~ 434.4
Average rushing yards per game ~ 124.2
Average passing yards per game ~ 310.2
Average points per game ~ 39.08 (!!)

Of course we all remember what happened in that game last season ~ Anthony Smith's career as a Pittsburgh Steeler effectively came to an end.

Tom Brady was 32-of-46 for 399 yards in passing, while Ben Roethlisberger went 19-for-32 for 187 yards.

The 34-13 beatdown (which followed a Steelers win versus Cincinnati) was not as close as the score would seem to indicate; and started a stretch in which Pittsburgh lost three out of their next four games.

Sorry to be such a bummer right before Thanksgiving ~ here are this week's numbers:

New England Offense v. Steelers Defense
Average total yards per game: New England offense 7th (363.1) v. Steelers defense 1st (235.4)

Average net rushing yards per game: New England offense 7th (131.3) v. Steelers defense 1st (66.5)

Average net passing yards per game: New England offense 10th (231.8) v. Steelers defense 1st (168.8)

Average points per game: New England offense 10th (24.27) v. Steelers defense 1st (14.55)

Steelers Offense v. New England Defense
Average total yards per game: Steelers offense 26th (306.0) v. New England defense 12th (316.0)

Average net rushing yards per game: Steelers offense 24th (101.7) v. New England defense 13th (100.2)

Average net passing yards per game: Steelers offense 18th (204.3) v. New England defense 13th (215.8)

Average points per game: Steelers offense: 23rd (21.45) v. New England defense 8th (20.18)

Special Teams
Average yards per punt return: New England 8th (11.7) v. Steelers 32nd (5.5)

Average yards allowed per punt return: New England 30th (12.9) v. Steelers 3rd (4.8)

Average yards per kick return: New England 5th (25.1) v. Steelers 30th (20.3)

Average yards allowed per kick return: New England 21st (23.8) v. Steelers 1st (19.2)

Net yardage punting average: New England 17th (36.8) v. Steelers 20th (36.6)

Opponent net yardage punting average: New England 16th (37.1) v. Steelers 26th (39.0)

Miscellaneous
Turnover differential: New England 15th (+1) v. Steelers 18th (0)

Time of possession: New England 7th (32:17) v. Steelers 11th (31:14)

Red Zone touchdown efficiency (touchdowns): New England 20th (51.2%) v. Steelers 5th (64.5%)

Red Zone defense (touchdowns): New England 31st (66.7%) v. Steelers 1st (34.4%)

Sacks allowed: New England 27th (35) v. Steelers 27th (35)

Some Individual Numbers
AFC Passer rating: Matt Cassel, 5th (90.5) v. Ben Roethlisberger, 11th (80.5)

AFC Leading rushers: Kevin Faulk, 21st (372 yards) v. Willie Parker, 12th (485 yards)

Note: Sammy Morris is New England's second leading rusher (356 yards) and Matt Cassel is third (199 yards)

AFC Leading receivers: Wes Welker, 2nd (80 catches, 838 yards, 10.5 per catch, 1 touchdowns) v. Hines Ward, 12th (54 catches, 718 yards, 13.3 yards per catch, 5 touchdowns)

AFC Sack Leaders: James Harrison, 2nd (12.0) v. Richard Seymour, 8th (7.0)

Note: LaMarr Woodley is third in the AFC in sacks with 10.5.

2008 Schedule: Looking Forward

If anyone doubts that the game versus Cincinnati was of the "must win" variety, they need only look at how the Steelers have fared against their next five opponents (including playoffs):

1. New England:
   • 13-11 all-time
   • 3-3 at New England
   • Most recent road win was December 13, 1997 (24-21 in OT)
   • 1-6 in their last seven meetings overall


2. Dallas:
   • 14-15 all-time
   • 7-6 in Pittsburgh
   • Most recent win in Pittsburgh was September 4, 1988 (24-21)
   • 1-4 in their last five games overall


3. Baltimore:
   • 15-10 all-time
   • 6-6 at Baltimore
   • 0-5 at Baltimore in their last five games


4. Tennessee:
   • Including games versus the Houston Oilers, the Steelers are 41-29 all-time
   • Including games versus the Houston Oilers, the Steelers are 17-19 on the road against this franchise
   • Since the Oilers moved to Tennessee (1997) the Steelers are 1-7 in the last eight games
   • Their most recent road win versus the Titans was November 25, 2001 (34-24).


5. Cleveland:
   • 58-55 all-time
   • 36-21 at Pittsburgh
   • 10 straight wins overall
   • 16 wins in their last 17 meetings
   • Most recent loss was at home, October 5, 2003 (13-33).

To say that it is a tough stretch ~ perhaps the toughest of the entire season ~ is something of an understatement. Making it all the more daunting is the comparative ease of Baltimore's schedule. Given that fact, it would seem that the Steelers have to do no worse than 3-2 in their next five to have any chance of making the playoffs (unless of course teams like Indianapolis implode, in which case the Wild Card becomes a possibility for Pittsburgh).

So let's hope the Steelers' players rest well for the next week, because there will be no rest for the weary the remainder of this season.

Future Opponents, Dramtic Stories

Tuesday was an unusually busy day of dramatic stories involving some players on NFL team whom the Steelers will be facing later this season. We offer up links for your convenience:

Jaguars: Jacksonville police now believe that jags' offensive lineman Richard Collier was targeted by his attackers when he was shot on September 2nd.

Chargers: Shawne Merriman, whose decision to not have knee surgery caused some much conversation over the summer, is now having knee surgery, and is out for the remainder of the season.

Patriots: Carson Palmer's surgeon says Tom Brady will be back sooner than you think.

Titans: Nashville police say they found a gun in Vince Young's car ~ but that it wasn't loaded.

A Quick & Dirty Preview of Games We Don't Care About

Oddly enough there are still teams playing NFL games.

For those who want to know who will win those games -- and why would you -- here's a look at the yards per catch and giveaway/takeaway ratios (a "system" Pat Kirwan mentioned on Sirus radio's Movin' the Chains Inside the Red Zone) for the teams still in the NFL playoffs.

Seattle @ Green Bay
Giveaway/Takeaway: Seattle +10, Green Bay +4
Yards per Catch: Seattle 7.1, Green Bay 7.7

Looks like a nail-biter

Jacksonville @ New England
Giveaway/Takeaway: Jacksonville +9, New England +16
Yards per Catch: Jacksonville 7.5, New England 8.3

New England for the win, but by 13?

San Diego @ Indianapolis
Giveaway/Takeaway: San Diego +24, Indianapolis +18
Yards per Catch: San Diego 6.7, Indianapolis 7.6

These two teams are #1 (Chargers) & #2 (Colts) in takeaways. Looks like a close one as well.

N.Y. Giants @ Dallas
Giveaway/Takeaway: N.Y. Giants -9, Dallas +5
Yards per Catch: N.Y. Giants 6.2, Dallas 8.1

Looks like a blowout in the making

One final comment. One motivation for watching these games is this: Except for Green Bay and Seattle the Steelers will be playing all of these teams next season.

You Could Look it Up -- Update

With the Steelers losing to Jacksonville, teams that have lost to New England are now 4-8 in the following week and have been outscored 148-223.

Original Post
We're not sure what to make of this, but of the twelve teams the Patriots beat prior to beating the Steelers, eleven of them played the following week (Cincinnati lost to New England in week four and had a bye the following week). In those eleven games, the teams that had lost to the Patriots the previous week have a combined record of 4-7 and have been outscored by a combined score 126-194.

Of course, included in those totals are two games against Buffalo, and single games against the Bengals, Dolphins, Jets, and Redskins amongst others.

Meanwhile the Steelers are 3-0 following their three previous losses, and won those games by a combined score of 48-13 (included in that is the 3-0 win over Miami).

Steelers @ New England: The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly

As the final seconds of Sunday's game wound down one could here (or at least thought they heard) the Patriots' players saying "Blueprint?!? We've got you're stinking blueprint right here!" So, with the question as to whether the Steelers are "contenders" or "pretenders" answered, at least for now, here's our perspective on the game.

The Good
The best thing about this week's game is that it's over; and the Steelers now face a must win game, the final home game of the regular season, against the very tough Jacksonville Jaguars. But beyond that, and more specific to the matchup with the Patriots, here's some of what the Black & Gold did well this past Sunday:

• Willie Parker had a good day -- 21 carries, 124 yards (56 yards in the first half, 68 yards in the second). Also impressive about the performance is that only 27 of those yards came during so-called "garbage time" at the end of the fourth quarter. Stopping the run is not a strength of the New England defense, and the Steelers exploited that weakness. That the Steelers running game was not, in-and-of itself, enough to change the final outcomes doesn't mean that the effort was a wasted one. Given the Steelers' struggles to run the football it was good to see them have some success in the phase of the game.


• Ben Roethlisberger's struggles against New England have been well-chronicled, but his performance on Sunday was a significant step forward. His statistics were not eye-catching (i.e. nothing like Tom Brady's) but the fact that he threw for a touchdown and no interceptions, in 32 pass attempts, is something positive to take from the game. Perhaps for the first time, at least when facing the Patriots, Mr. Roethlisberger did not appear overmatched or easily rattled. His performance, like those of many of his teammates, may have fallen short of what was needed to produce a win but it was, on the whole, a good (if not great performance).

The Bad
Where does one begin . . .

• It would be easy to lambaste Anthony Smith. After all, he ran his mouth too much before the game, and then didn't use his head during the game. However it is the entire defense that disappointed on Sunday. Two big plays resulted in 14 points for the Patriots -- but the question we ask, rhetorical though it might be, is what about the other 20? For those the Patriots put together drives of 9 plays/52 yards, 8 plays/54 yards, 10 plays/50 yards, and 13 plays/89 yards. Pittsburgh Steelers Fanatic firmly believes in giving opponents credit for the things they do well -- and the Patriots deserve lots of credit; however the Steelers defense failed to make any significant plays against the best team in the NFL. As a result, the Patriots scored points of some kind on six of their ten possessions. Whether it was game planning, execution on the field, or some combination of both the Steelers' defense -- the heart & soul of the team -- was outgunned and outplayed all day long.


• The play calling of Bruce Arians, specifically in the (Heinz) red zone left something to be desired. Going into the game the Patriots had the league's worst red zone (touchdown) defense; but despite this fact the Steelers came away with only three points on their two three trips inside the New England 12-yard line. Additionally, the play calling early in the fourth quarter left us shaking our heads. On the drive that ended at the new England 1-yard line (which began late in the third quarter) Nate Washington made a catch which put the ball at the New England twenty. From that point Steelers' running backs had four carries, netting fifteen yards. But two passes (one to Hines Ward for one yard, and one to Santonio Holmes -- which was perfectly defended) yielded little, and the fourth down end around drew Hines Ward from the outside towards the strength of the Patriots defense (i.e. Mike Vrabel). Given the the success that the Steelers had had on the ground the argument here is that a power toss to the left (a play that was run by the Steelers late in the fourth quarter) -- thereby taking the Steelers' ball carrier from the inside away from the Patriots' defensive strength -- would have been a better second down call. As it was, the Patriots played downs two, three, and four perfectly. When Hines Ward was held out of the end zone on fourth down the Steelers' slim chances of coming back were extinguished.

The Ugly

• Like Anthony Smith, Willie Colon makes an inviting target here -- he was completely overmatched against Mike Vrabel -- but the real culprit is the coach, or coaches, who put him out on that island in the first place. Mr. Colon may someday be an All-Pro, but he isn't there yet, and nothing he's done this season should have led any member of the coaching staff to believe that he was prepared for the kind of responsibility that was foisted upon him for this game. The result was that Heath Miller, who had a good first quarter catching the ball (3 catches, 19 yards), had to be kept on the line to block; and the result of that was one fewer receiver for Ben Roethlisberger to look for, and the result of that was stark: In the first half Ben Roethlisberger's passing statistics were 12/17, 121 yards, 1 touchdown. In the second half, with Mr. Miller consigned to assisting Mr. Colon, Mr. Roethlisberger was 7/15, 66 yards, 0 touchdowns. Coincidence? Of course not (in the second half Mr. Miller had 1 catch for 9 yards).


• When a team loses a big game, and performs in a manner that disappoints themselves and their fans, there is plenty of "ugly" to go around. However, I want to make special mention of one member of the Black & Gold who shamed himself in a way for which the Steelers are not know. Arnold Harrison's fourth quarter cheap shot, well after a New England punt had gone out of bounds, has no place on this team. The Steelers had their chances to make plays, and however frustrated they were there simply is no excuse for that type of conduct -- we're not the Raiders. And frankly, I don't blame Bill Belichick for wanting Mr. Harrison ejected. If the situation had been reversed all Steelers fans would have been called for the same thing. The hope here is that someone -- either the league or the team -- fines Mr. Harrison for his juvenile behavior.

The Final Analysis
It's over, and the sooner the Steelers forget about this game the better. Jacksonville is playing for a wild card berth; and don't look now but the Cleveland Browns are just one game behind the Steelers for the AFC Central championship. The last thing the Steelers should want is to face the Baltimore Ravens in the regular season's final game actually needing a win to get into the playoffs.

Fun Fact
Coming into the game the Patriots had had 40 possessions which were 1-4 plays in duration. Of those 40 possessions, 8 resulted in touchdowns. Against the Steelers the Patriots had 6 such drives and two resulted in touchdowns. Another of those resulted in a field goal, while still another resulted in a missed field goal.

Steelers @ New England: Instant First Half Analysis

Here's some perceptions from the first half of what is shaping up to be a veritable grudge match (thanks Anthony Smith):

First Quarter

• The pace of the game is going the Steelers way -- the Patriots had two possessions thanks to a nice opening drive by the Steelers.


• The Steelers' offense did a great job of using Heath Miller in the opening drive. Rodney Harrison cannot cover Mr. Miller, nor can the New England linebackers.


• Lousy kick coverage all but negated the success of the opening drive; and the short field allowed the Patriots to go 52 yards in 9 plays (their most efficient drives are in the 5-9 play range).


• The Steelers rushing struggles continue: Willie Parker had 13 yards on 6 carries.

Second Quarter

• Big plays all the way 'round! Ike Taylor and Anthony Smith were burned badly on an outstanding play fake by Tom Brady -- a play like that was bound to happen (remember a couple of years ago on the first play of the Monday night game versus Indianapolis?) -- but their eagerness to stuff the run seems misplaced. The Patriots are a throwing offense, and they should have both been more concerned with Randy Moss streaking by.


• But then the Steelers offense came up with a huge play of their own to cut the lead to four -- Najeh Davenport in a downfield pass pattern? I'm glad I saw it, because I would have never believed it.


• Someone tell William Gay that when he's running down the field on a kick return that he should pull his head out of his butt. Alan Rossum was trying to wave everyone off the ball, and Mr. Gay didn't get the message. And that was after he was flagged for running out of bounds on an earlier punt.


• The offensive line is beginning to show some spark -- Marvel Smith has been especially effective -- and as a result Willie Parker is beginning to find some holes (11 carries, 56 yards).


• Having said that, Willie Colon has got to figure out how to block Mike Vrabel.


• The defense is going reasonably well limiting the Patriots to field goals rather than touchdowns. Following the 63-yard pass to Randy Moss the Patriots have run 15 plays and scored three points while the Steelers have run 17 plays and scored 10 points.


• Finally, after being limited to two drives in the first quarter the Patriots had four possessions in the second quarter -- a pace of play that will hurt the Steelers if it continues.

There's lots of work to do in the second half, but the Steelers are in the game. If they can continue to limit the Patriots to field goals, while holding on to the ball themselves, it should make for a thrilling Steelers victory!

One Last Statistic

One of keys to the game against New England (at least inferred) that Bill Cowher spoke about on "The NFL Today" was keeping the Patriots from hitting big plays, and the numbers show just what a big play offense they have.

Going into this week's game the Patriots have had 111 offensive drives (excluding kneel downs). What follows is a breakdown of those drives by number of plays, and the number of touchdown scores:

• 1-4 Plays: 40 drives, 8 touchdowns (20%), 62 total points
• 5-9 Plays: 36 drives, 24 touchdowns (66.6%), 177 points
• 10-14 plays: 32 drives, 19 touchdowns (59.38%), 157 total points
• 15+ Plays: 3 drives, 1 touchdown (33.3%), 10 total points

Not only is the Patriots' offense scoring more total points in the 5-9 play range, but they're also more efficient -- i.e. converting more possessions into touchdowns.

Clearly, the Steelers safeties, and whomever will be responsible for covering the tight end(s), will need to keep the play in front of them.

See you all at halftime!

Steelers @ Patriots: Odds & Ends

There's no denying it: The New England Patriots are hateable
But why is it so? Is it really about The Hoody and his cheating, boorish behavior; or the fact that Tom Brady seemingly has a contract with GQ that requires that he be on its cover every two or three months (when he's not impregnating attractive women, then immediately begins dating another)? Or perhaps its because Scott Pioli has a text message alert on his phone whenever the Steelers cut a player. Sure, it could be all of that -- but why don't fans of the Steelers hate Tom Coughlin (the original Steelers' roster raider)?

No, it seems clear that the source of the enmity is something off the field. The view from here that the reason the Patriots are hated has to do with the ridiculous fawning of the media. It's Tony Kornheiser announcing in the fourth quarter that "if the Patriots hand on to win this [game] they're going undefeated!" Sure -- struggling to beat a 4-7 team is just the hurdle the Patriots needed to clear.

Or perhaps its just the "Patriots" item on the ESPN crawler with its "Pursuit of Perfection" subtitle that keeps pushing me a little closer to the edge.

It's all about scoring
In the first twelve games of this season the New England Patriots have scored in 44 of the 48 quarters they have played. Meanwhile their opponents have been shutout in 20 of those quarters; and only the Baltimore Ravens (the 26th rated scoring offense in the league) scored in all four quarters of their contest against the Patriots.

Here's a look at the Patriots' per quarter scoring averages for the season:

• 1st Quarter: 9.17
• Second Quarter: 12.08
• Third Quarter: 6.92
• Fourth Quarter: 10.92

Here are the Patriots' opponents' scoring averages:

• 1st Quarter: 2.58
• 2nd Quarter: 5.42
• Third Quarter: 3.67
• Fourth Quarter: 5.75

Meanwhile, the Steelers have scored in 36 of the 48 quarters they have played (included in that is having been shutout for the first three quarters of the game against Miami), while limiting their opponents to scores in 25 quarters -- including two shutouts (versus Seattle and Miami).

Here's a look at the Steelers' per quarter scoring averages for the season:

• 1st Quarter: 5.42
• 2nd Quarter: 7.33
• 3rd Quarter: 5.08
• Fourth Quarter: 6.83

And here are the Steelers' opponents' scoring averages by quarter:

• 1st Quarter: 3.33
• 2nd Quarter: 3.42
• 3rd Quarter: 2.50
• Fourth Quarter: 3.42

The real keys to the game
Experts -- people who actually earn a living paying attention to professional football -- have offered their insights into exactly what will make the difference in Sunday's game. And while we all enjoy reading about how Tom Brady has to do this, or James Harrison has to do that, the real keys are the same each week, irrespective of the opponent. Here are a few to look for today:

1. The battles in the trenches: Controlling the line of scrimmage the single biggest key to the game. If the Steelers are able to run the football, and Ben Roethlisberger has time to throw the ball they will score. Conversely, if the Steelers defensive front controls play the Patriots will struggle. It doesn't get much simpler than this.


2. Pressure on the quarterback: Related to point one, all of this talk of a "blueprint for beating the Patriots" is nonsense -- the Ravens and Eagles were the first teams this season able to get sustained pressure on Tom Brady, and anyone who saw either of those games saw what can happen to even the best quarterback when the defense comes crashing in. However, not all pressure is crated equal -- a pass rush that comes from the middle of the line is far more effective than pressure off the corner, especially when the quarterback is not sacked.
   
   Related to this is what to do with Casey Hampton. Mr. Hampton is routinely pulled when the opponent's offense is in a passing situation. However, New England's willingness to throw on any down makes for a matchup challenge for Dick LeBeau.


3. Special Teams: All fans of the Black & Gold who have seen Troy Brown kill the Steelers on kick returns won't soon forget it, and while the return specialist is different the challenge is not. Mile Tomlin said it earlier in the season: "As a kick coverage team we stink," and if they stink this week it's going to result in a loss.


4. Turnovers: The Cincinnati game not withstanding, the Steelers have to be perfect with the football all day long. Stated another way, if the Steelers are -3 in takeaways against New England they're going to lose by at least 21 points. The Patriots are more than capable of driving a long field, give them a short field and New England will put 50+ points on the board.

Conclusion
Not to state the obvious but the Steelers face their toughest test this season and they will have to play flawlessly in order to have an opportunity to win.

Pittsburgh Steelers Fanatic will be online at half time with a look at the numbers from the first two quarters, and a look ahead to the second half.

"Experts" Begin to Weigh In

Now that Anthony Smith has made his prediction a matter of public record, an NFL expert, whose opinions are respected, has made his feelings known.

Peter King of Sports Illustrated is picking the Steelers, and here's why:

"Five reasons:

1. A.J. Feeley and Kyle Boller have put up 52 points on the Patriots the last two weeks; Ben Roethlisberger won't make the kind of late-game mistakes those two backups did.

2. Brian Westbrook and Willis McGahee have rushed for 190 yards on the Pats the last two weeks. I'm not in love with Willie Parker's recent rushing numbers -- 52, 81 and 87 yards, against three straight sub-.500 teams -- but I think the Patriots will be vulnerable against a power running game.

3. Pats are tired after three straight night games, including the emotional Monday-nighter in frigid Baltimore. Bill Belichick didn't even practice them Wednesday, an incredible rarity with a Sunday game upcoming.

4. Hines Ward's will to win. The dude leads the league in it.

5. Just a gut feeling. The strain of going for perfection seems to be wearing on New England, while Pittsburgh is just bullyish enough not to fear the
enormity of Sunday's stage."

At 10:00PM (EST) on Thursday 65% of those voting online disagreed with Mr. King's choice -- the closest vote of all the games.

Meanwhile, during halftime of the Thursday night game on the NFL Network (Bears v. Redskins) Patriots' safety Rodney Harrison took the high road saying only that "we have tremendous amount of respect for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and we know that they're an aggressive, physical team that's on a role right now."

Steelers @ New England: The Matchups

This week's game features a classic matchup of the Irresistible Force (New England's offense) versus the Immovable Object (the Steelers' defense). Here's a look at the numbers:

New England Offense v. Steelers Defense
Average Total Yards per Game: New England Offense, 1st (434.4) v. Steelers Defense, 1st (230.8)

Average Net Rushing Yards per Game: New England Offense, 7th (124.2) v. Steelers Defense, 2nd (76.8)

Average Net Passing Yards per Game: New England Offense, 1st (310.2) v. Steelers Defense, 1st (154.0)

Third Down Conversions: New England Offense, 1st (53.6%) v. Steelers Defense, 11th (38.8%)
Note: Last Monday night the Ravens' defense held New England to a season-low conversion rate of 16% (2/12).

Average Points per Game: New England Offense, 1st (39.08) v. Steelers Defense, 1st (12.92)

Steelers Offense v. New England Defense
Average Total Yards per Game: Steelers Offense, 14th (332.0) v. New England Defense, 3rd (281.5)

Average Net Rushing Yards per Game: Steelers Offense, 3rd (138.3) v. New England Defense, 5th (86.2)

Average Net Passing Yards per Game: Steelers Offense, 24th (193.7) v. New England Defense, 6th (195.4)

Third Down Conversions: Steelers Offense, 3rd (49.1%) v. New England Defense, 5th (34.4%)

Average Points per Game: Steelers Offense, 6th (24.67) v. New England Defense, 5th (17.42)

Special Teams
Average Yards per Punt Return: New England 7th (11.2) v. Steelers, 29th (6.7)

Average Yards Allowed per Punt Return: New England, 1st (3.6) v. Steelers, 23rd (10.7)

Average Yards per Kick Return: New England, 1st (27.4) v. Steelers, 18th (22.6)

Average Yards Allowed per Kick Return: New England, 9th (21.6) v. Steelers, 17th (22.7)

Net Yardage Punting Average: New England, 18th (36.8) v. Steelers, 10th (37.5)

Opponent Net Yard Punting Average: 19th (37.6) v. Steelers, 27th (39.1)

Miscellaneous
Turnover Differential: New England, 1st (+16) v. Steelers, 14th (+3)

Time of Possession: New England, 2nd (33:43) v. Steelers, 1st (34:41)

Red Zone Touchdown Efficiency: New England, 1st (75%) v. Steelers, 5th (58.1%)

Red Zone Defense (Touchdowns): New England, 32nd (70.8%) v. Steelers, 14th (50.0%)

Some Individual Numbers
Passer Rating: Tom Brady, 1st (127.9) v. Ben Roethlisberger, 3rd (102.9)

Leading Rushers: Laurence Maroney, 18th (467 yards; 4.4 per carry; 2 touchdowns) v. Willie Parker, 1st (1,093 yards; 3.8 per carry; 2 touchdowns)

Leading Receiver: Wes Welker, 2nd (878 yards; 10.8 per catch; 7 touchdowns) v. Hines Ward, 12th (607 yards; 10.6 per catch; 6 touchdowns)

Field Goal Accuracy: Stephen Gostkowski, 9th

• 20-29 Yards: 7/7
• 30-39 Yards: 4/5
• 40-49 Yards: 1/2
• 50+ Yards: 0/0

v. Jeff Reed, 2nd

• 20-29 Yards: 6/6
• 30-39 Yards: 10/10
• 40-49 Yards: 3/4
• 50+ Yards: 0/1

Sacks: Mike Vrabel, 3rd (9.5) v. James Harrison, 4th (8.5)