The New England Patriots took care of business against the Pittsburgh Steelers with a 21-18 victory. It was a game where the offense put up three first-half touchdowns and looked like the polar opposite of the one we have seen all season.
The Patriots put up more points in the first half than they did in the last three weeks combined. On the other end, the Steelers defense had no answers in the first half, and their offense looked par for the course for them.
The Patriots are sitting at 3-10 with the Kansas City Chiefs next on their schedule. They are still in position for a top draft pick, but they’re not entirely eliminated from playoff contention statistically.
Let’s get into this week’s three top stars from Thursday’s game.
First Star: QB Bailey Zappe
Bailey Zappe provided a spark and confidence from the quarterback position we have failed to see in 2023. He had three first-half touchdowns and finished the game going 19-of-28 with 240 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.
Zappe looked poised in the pocket and made the correct decisions. The offense overall looked better as a unit. Zappe’s play will need to continue if the team wishes to win out. They have tough matchups against the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills in their last four games. So they’ll need the offense to keep up with the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen.
All in all, Zappe deserves to be this week’s first star because he was the catalyst for the offense looking so good this week. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves though, this team still doesn’t have a long-term answer at quarterback.
Second Star: RB Ezekiel Elliott
Vintage Ezekiel Elliott was out in full force Thursday night. Elliott had 29 touches—22 carries and seven receptions—for 140 total yards and a touchdown. He has looked good all season long, but the Patriots offense has been so bad that we have yet to really see him shine.
He has looked refreshed since signing with the Patriots this summer, and if the offense had any resemblance of competence, he would be the top back on the market this offseason. A veteran leader like Elliott would be a nice fit longer term as the team rebuilds.
Third Star: WR JuJu Smith-Schuster
JuJu Smith-Schuster, who played the Steelers for the first time since leaving, had a revenge game against his former team.
He had four catches for 90 yards and was the team’s leading receiver, which was a welcome sight for a team that let Jakobi Meyers walk in free agency. The bottom line is Smith-Schuster seemed energized, athletic and engaged. You have to wonder if that is largely due to the quarterback change.
Morale is just as important as production because an engaged offensive unit is usually one that is productive or at the bare minimum, competent. Say what you want of the quarterback play, but you cannot knock the shift in morale we saw on Thursday with the victory. And Smith-Schuster was a huge part of it.
