The New England Patriots put an end to their five-game losing streak with a victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on enemy turf.
The previously struggling New England offense kicked off the game strong, scoring three touchdowns in the first half, all orchestrated by quarterback Bailey Zappe. This was enough for the Patriots to snap their skid, as Steelers backup quarterback Mitchell Trubisky (filling in for the injured Kenny Pickett) couldn't muster a thrilling comeback.
The result improved New England's record to 3-10 for the season and marked Pittsburgh's second devastating loss in as many weeks, following a defeat against the underwhelming Arizona Cardinals in Week 13.
According to NFL Research, the Steelers became only the second team in NFL history to start the season with more than ten home losses in a row. Going into the previous week's game, Pittsburgh was 9-0 against home opponents under head coach Mike Tomlin, but had lost their last two outings.
The loss hampered Pittsburgh's playoff push, as they ended up losing six games in total, dropping them down to the eighth spot in the AFC standings.
In response to a post-game press conference question about how the team recovers from the devastating losses, Tomlin simply responded, "We're just moving forward. We're ready for our next opportunity next week."
Highlights
The Patriots' home loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 13 represented the low point in the team's historic streak under head coach Bill Belichick.
The Chargers walked away with a 6-0 victory in Foxborough, Massachusetts, as New England's offense reached an all-time low, and the future of the six-time Super Bowl champion's head coach was cast in doubt.
But the team showed new life in the Thursday night game, beginning with an impressive Rushing Touchdown by Zappe for 75 yards.
Zappe completed 14 of his first 21 passes for 196 yards and three Touchdown passes – two to Hunter Henry on his birthday and one to Ezekiel Elliott – midway through the second quarter, giving the Patriots a 21-3 lead.
It's worth noting that Zappe's 37-yard pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster in the first quarter of the game was the longest pass by a Patriots quarterback in the season, according to Next-Generation Statistics. Zappe has caught more than 25 yards through the air in a game twice so far, while the starting quarterback for the team, Mac Jones, has not accomplished the same feat.
While Pittsburgh made a comeback, New England held on to secure the victory, helping to dispel the dark cloud hanging over the team.
Belichick praised the team's work ethic ahead of the game.
"They work hard every day", Belichick told reporters. "We've once again been trying to improve and correct things that have helped us. Some things worked out well for us tonight. Hopefully, they can keep it up."
"There are some things we can do better. We made some mistakes. Pittsburgh is a good team, with some really good players. You need to watch out for them and not let them ruin the game for you. We're not going to do that.", Belichick went on to say, explaining that every week presents new challenges.
"We'll see some good players next week. If we prepare well, we'll play how we want to and achieve our goals."
Further reading:
Bailey Zappe led the Patriots to victory, completing 196 yards and three Touchdown passes, with New England's backup quarterback Kenny Pickett out due to injury.
According to Next-Generation Statistics, Zappe's 37-yard pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster in the first quarter of the game was the longest such pass by a Patriots quarterback in this season.
Sources:
Note: The information about Bailey Zappe's past performance with the Cleveland Browns was included due to its relevance, but it should not dominate the discussion or overshadow Zappe's performance with the Patriots in the given sources.
