PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – First road game of the year and a look at a six-pack of issues for the Steelers in New England on Sunday afternoon.
Drake Maye
The third-year quarterback who led the Patriots to the Super Bowl last year was harassed by the Steelers in September of 2025. Drake Maye was sacked five times, lost a fumble and threw an interception in a Steelers 21-14 win.
As for how that will help this defense now?
“It’s a new year, it gets flushed out right after that,” said Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen.
Then started the breakdown of the 24-year-old’s game.
“You saw a young quarterback grow last year, so now he's got big games under his belt,” said Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy. “You see that in his composure, the way he handles the offensive system, which they do a good job challenging each and every week with a specific game plan towards your defense.
“I like the way he plays. He can make all the throws. He's comfortable in the pocket. He can beat you from the pocket and when he exits the pocket, he looks to throw before he runs. On top of that, he's an effective runner.”
Maye had a great season last year completing an NFL-leading 72% of his passes for 4,394 yards, 31 touchdowns, 8 interceptions. He led the NFL in yards per attempt along with QB rating and QBR. Plus, he rushed for 450 yards, 38 first downs and 4 touchdowns.
“We got to keep Drake in the pocket, the dude is explosive,” said Steelers captain Cam Heyward.
“I think he’s a confident kid,” Queen said. “Any throw on the field he can make and you see him use his legs a lot more. We joke about it, usually quarterbacks like that give the perception that they are fast, but he can slide.”
“Obviously he’s a great quarterback, he’s a young guy who has made a lot of noise in this league,” said linebacker Alex Highsmith. “We know he’s a dangerous quarterback, not just with his arm, but his ability to scramble. We have to be disciplined in our rush lanes up front and get after him from the jump.”
Battering Cam
He’s one of the best all-time at doing it, Cam Heyward is only six from the career record of batting down passes (a stat that has only recently kept). It will be a little more challenging with Maye’s mobility.
“Technique, timing, work in practice and just film study,” Heyward said of how he can make those plays. “Take pride in knowing my opponents and what we are supposed to do.”
His brother a college basketball player, the 6’5” Heyward said he was a good rebounder in high school. The 37-year-old also said he had a 20-rebound, 20-point game against NBA Hall of Famer Dwight Howard as a freshman.
Big plays
Last year no team in the AFC had more plays of 20 yards or more than the New England Patriots and they get one of their explosive running backs returning this week.
“(Rhamondre) Stevenson, and TreVeyon Henderson is coming back off injury, I think they got a really good 1-2 punch. O-line, they are a cohesive unit,” Heyward said. “They didn’t win the last game, but they took the Super Bowl champs down to the fourth quarter and they gave themselves a chance to win. We have to have our best brand of football.”
“Home run hitter, a guy that gets the ball and can go the long way,” Queen said of Henderson. “It’s going to take all 11 to get to the ball like it was with (Atlanta RB) Bijon (Robinson).”
Samuel 2nd start
Joey Porter, Junior out again with what is listed as a back injury, it’s consecutive starts for Asante Samuel, Junior. A star in training camp and solid in his first game this year (Pro Football Focus ranked him the 55th best corner in Week 1), Samuel, Junior will get tested in pasting while Maye is moving in the pocket. The advantage the Steelers secondary will have is the Patriots will be without big-time free agent receiver AJ Brown and of the three starting receivers Sunday-Romeo Doubs, DeMario Douglas and Mack Hollins have combined for three 100-yard receiving performances in 137 combined games.
Run game O
Statistically the Steelers have the worst rushing offense in the NFL. That’s through one week as they rushed for only 58 yards against the Falcons. Controlling the ball and getting a run game would appear to be a key in any game, especially on the road, although it doesn’t appear to be a concern, at least with the quarterback.
“The consistency and the balance stuff is all for talking-head fodder,” said Aaron Rodgers. “It's all about winning the game. Whether you got to throw it 40 times or run it 40 times, so I'm not worried about the balance. Balance comes naturally.
“If you're getting a chance to be ahead of teams, you're going to get more run opportunities. If you don't have five three-and-outs, you have more run opportunities too. So, I'm not worried about that.”
Steeler killer
Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels started his NFL career in New England right when the Patriots, under Tom Brady, started breaking the hearts of Steelers fans. His first season he was an assistant in the 2001 AFC title game. Was Brady’s QB coach in 2004. As offensive coordinator he was 6-2 against the Steelers including another AFC title game victory in 2016.
Steelers defensive coordinator Patrick Graham knows McDaniels well having coached with him.
“Luckily for me, I've been around a lot of good coaches,” Graham said. “He's one of the best amongst us.”
“We don't play against each other. We know that. But just in terms of how we're going to try to deploy the schemes and things of that nature. I'm so grateful to what he taught me as a coach. I mean, the time with him when he was a head
coach, our time together in New England, I mean, I learned a lot from that man.”
Did he learn enough to stop his offense Sunday?
What Steelers said of Drake Maye, big plays, run game
What Steelers said of Drake Maye, big plays, run game
