On Sunday, the New England Patriots play the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium, and it’s a must-win game for Bill Belichick. All football games are important, but the Patriots have not started the season 0-2 since 2001.
If New England loses to Pittsburgh, it doesn’t get easier from there. After playing the Steelers, the Patriots will then face off against the Baltimore Ravens (1-0), Green Bay Packers (0-1), Detroit Lions (0-1), and Cleveland Browns (1-0).
However, records alone fail to tell the full story. The Packers still have Aaron Rodgers, the Lions scored 35 points against the Eagles in Week 1, and the Browns played decent on the road with Jacoby Brissett at quarterback.
The Patriots have not started 0-2 since 2001, the longest active streak in the league without an 0-2 start.
They have to win in Pittsburgh on Sunday to avoid that.
— Doug Clawson (@doug_clawson) September 14, 2022
Simply put, Belichick’s roster isn’t designed to recover from a slow start. He no longer has the greatest quarterback of all time, Tom Brady, or a creative offensive mind in Josh McDaniels. New England has to play with a lead.
Following the Lions matchup, the Patriots might be looking at a 1-4 record in mid-October. Even then, which of the teams listed above can New England beat? The defense can only carry the offense for so long.
In Week 1, the Dallas Cowboys managed only a field goal against Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And that was with quarterback Dak Prescott. The Packers’ offense also scored just one touchdown in their 23-7 road loss versus the Minnesota Vikings.
Of course, the Patriots lost 20-7 to the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium in Week 1. Although it was just one game, the team’s offense has looked dreadful without Josh McDaniels. They finished last week with a bottom-three scoring offense in the NFL.
The Patriots’ Week 2 matchup against Steelers is a must-win game
According to Foxborough-based reporters, the offense was also a mess during training camp. This isn’t anything new. During the offseason, Belichick could have brought back Bill O’Brien or Chad O’Shea. The hoodie had a lot of time to make changes.
Furthermore, Matt Patricia currently serves as the team’s senior football advisor and offensive line coach. Joe Judge returned to the team to work as an offensive assistant and quarterbacks coach as well.
At this point, neither coach has lived up to the high standards of the Patriot Way. In other words, New England is without an offensive coordinator — at least not a reliable one.
Patriots Friday injury report and #NEvsPIT game statuses: https://t.co/W4uVTIEmv1
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) September 16, 2022
Forget about scoring touchdowns for a second. The offensive line is already struggling to protect quarterback Mac Jones. He suffered a back injury during the fourth quarter of the Patriots’ loss down in Miami. In Week 1, that’s a bad omen.
If the offense is this putrid with Jones, fans cannot stomach just how awful it would be without him. Plus, without T.J. Watt, the Steelers’ defenders can still get to Jones. They have enough talent and roster depth to disrupt New England’s passing attack.
For Week 2, this matchup could be a potential blowout loss for New England. One thing is for sure: the Patriots should not be 2.5-point favorites on the road. Since 2013, the Steelers are 1-6 against them. But Belichick had Brady for all of those previous contests.
Additionally, Brady had weapons at his disposal throughout the Patriots dynasty. The offense had Julian Edelman, Rob Gronkowski, Danny Amendola, and Chris Hogan. That unstoppable offense was the biggest headache for the Steelers’ coaching staff. Now, these players are all gone.
Not to mention, Pittsburgh defeated the Patriots with Tom Brady 17-10 in 2018. After all these years, nothing would please head coach Mike Tomlin more than to see his team beat his archnemesis again this Sunday.
While Belichick might not be on the hot seat until late 2023, could owner Robert Kraft pull the plug on the hoodie after this season if the Patriots finish 4-13 or 5-12? Everyone knows it’s a possibility. Kraft cares about ticket sales, winning, and franchise value. That’s the bottom line.
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