FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Upon further review, the New England Patriots see there is a lot of work left to do if they are to contend for the AFC championship.

The Patriots watched video Monday of a 25-17 loss at Pittsburgh the day before. And they didn’t look any better the second time around.

“There are things they did that obviously caused some problems,” New England coach Bill Belichick said. “We either didn’t make adjustments to it quick enough or in some cases we tried to adjust to it but we just couldn’t get it done the way we needed to get it done.

“Overall, they just did a little better job than we did.”

The Patriots had a sombre look in the locker room Monday after watching the video and most declined interview requests.

New England (5-2) fell behind 10-0 and was never able to complete the comeback. The Patriots ran just three plays of offence in the first quarter and the weary defence couldn’t stop the Steelers, who drove 68 yards for a touchdown on the opening series.

Pittsburgh also converted 10-of-16 times on third down and held the Patriots to just 213 yards of offence.

Still, the Patriots had a chance after Tom Brady’s one-yard touchdown pass to Aaron Hernandez cut the lead to 23-17 with 2:35 left.

“We played a good game. We fought it out all the way, but they played a better game. They were ready,” safety Patrick Chung said.

The Patriots are back at home this week, hosting the New York Giants (5-2).

Quarterback Tom Brady said Monday during his weekly appearance on WEEI radio the Steelers’ defence did a good job of forcing the Patriots out of any hopes of a balanced offensive game.

“When you play the Steelers, you’ve got to be somewhat balanced,” he said. “You’ve got to be able to run the ball efficiently.

“And then when you throw it, you’ve got to throw it on your terms. We were throwing it on their terms all day. They’ve got a good defence. They have a great scheme. They have one of the best defensive co-ordinators of all-time and some incredible players on defence. Like I said, we’ve got to try to learn from it and go out there and play better this week.”

Sunday’s meeting will be the first time the Giants and Patriots play in the regular season since New York’s improbable 17-14 Super Bowl victory Feb 4, 2008.

Pittsburgh finally solved their Tom Brady problem, defeating the New England Patriots 25-17 to end the superstar quarterback’s long reign over the Steelers.

The Steelers had lost six of their seven NFL contests against the Patriots with Brady as their starting quarterback. That included the teams’ past four meetings.

This time, however, the Steelers found a way to stop the league’s most prolific attack this season.

Steelers signal-caller Ben Roethlisberger passed for 365 yards and two touchdowns, completing 36 of 50 passes and guiding his team through a series of drives that ate up time and kept Brady and the Pats offence off the field.

The Steelers held the ball for more than 39 minutes and thwarted New England’s late rally bid to notch their fourth straight victory.

“It’s been all Tom Brady versus the Pittsburgh Steelers and looking back on the past, how he’s owned the Pittsburgh Steelers, and I think everybody forgot about our offence a little bit and the things they’ve been doing out there,” Pittsburgh linebacker LaMarr Woodley said.

“I think they took that a little personal.”

Brady, who lost to the Steelers for only the second time in his career, passed for two touchdowns but overall threw for a season-low 198 yards.

Even so, New England pulled within six points of the Steelers with 2:35 to play when Brady connected with Aaron Hernandez on a one-yard touchdown pass.

However, the Patriots’ last-chance drive ended with eight seconds remaining when Brady was sacked.

“There was a poor level of execution,” Brady said. “We all have to individually look in the mirror and figure out what we need to get better at.”

Roethlisberger used an uncharacteristic but successful array of shorter passes to keep the ball advancing in Steelers hands.

The Steelers’ five scoring drives lasted 11, 16, 10, 14 and 11 plays. They converted 10 of their 16 third-down chances and had three field goals by Shaun Suisham.

The Steelers improved to 6-2. With the unbeaten 7-0 Packers idle, San Francisco and Detroit also took their number of victories to six.

In San Francisco, Frank Gore ran for more than 125 yards and a touchdown in a fourth straight game as the 49ers defeated Cleveland 20-10 to improve to 6-1.

Detroit, who had lost two after a blazing 5-0 start, sacked Denver quarterback Tim Tebow seven times en route to a 45-10 victory over the Broncos that took their record to 6-2.

The St. Louis Rams, perhaps buoyed by the St. Louis Cardinals’ World Series baseball triumph, shocked the New Orleans Saints 31-21 for their first victory of the season.

The Dolphins and Colts, however, remained winless. The New York Giants dealt Miami a 20-17 defeat while Tennessee beat Indianapolis 27-10 as Colts quarterback Curtis Painter was sacked twice and threw two interceptions that led to Titans touchdowns.

Baltimore engineered the biggest comeback in Ravens history, Billy Cundiff kicking a 25-yard field goal as time expired to seal a 30-27 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.

Baltimore had trailed 24-3 in the second quarter, scoring 24 straight points to take the lead.

Arizona tied it one more time before Baltimore sealed it, bettering their previous biggest rally which was from 19-points down.

In Philadelphia, Eagles quarterback Michael Vick threw two touchdown passes and LeSean McCoy had a career-best 185 yards rushing with two TDs as the hosts romped to a 34-7 victory over division rivals Dallas.

In other games, Minnesota edged Carolina 24-21, Houston beat Jacksonville 24-14, Buffalo routed Washington 23-0, Cincinnati defeated Seattle 34-12.

The New England Patriots simply could not muster up enough offense as they fell to the Pittsburgh Steelers by a score of 25-17 on Sunday, October 30.

Tom Brady(notes) was held to just 198 yards as he completed 24 passes on 35 attempts in his failed effort to lead the Patriots to victory. He threw two touchdowns and zero interceptions but it was simply not enough.

The running game was non-existent as Kevin Faulk(notes) was limited to 32 yards on six rushing attempts. BenJarvus Green-Ellis(notes) added nine yards on five carries.

Tight end Rob Gronkowski(notes) led the receivers with 94 yards on seven receptions while wide receiver Wes Welker(notes) was limited to 39 yards on six catches. Brady was able to find Deion Branch(notes) in the end zone on a two-yard pass in the second quarter, and then Aaron Hernandez(notes) on a one-yard pass in the fourth quarter.

Simply put, the offense was simply not enough to balance out the lackluster New England defense.

New England gave up 365 passing yards to Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger(notes) as he completed 36 passes on 50 attempts. He scored two touchdowns and was picked off once by LB Gary Guyton(notes).

It is certainly hard to stop an offensive attack that controlled the ball for 39:22 in the span of a 60:00 game.

Kudos should to be given for holding RB Rashard Mendenhall(notes) to only 70 yards on 13 attempts. Also no rushing touchdowns were given up. I’ll look at that as a positive.

Patrick Chung(notes) led the defenders with 10 solo tackles and three assists. He also deflected a pass. Brandon Spikes(notes) also contributed with 10 solo tackles, two assists, and a pass deflection of his own. Other defensive highlights include Guyton’s interception and two sacks by Andre Carter(notes).

It was a disappointing loss in a game the Patriots should have won. When Brady is unable to get on the field, it is hard for him to work his magic. It is as simple as that. Just over 20:00 of game time is not enough to win a ball game. The Steelers ruled the clock allowing them to win the game.

The Patriots now sit at 5-2 on the year in a first place tie with the Buffalo Bills. The will face the 5-2 New York Giants on November 6 with the hope they will be able to control the ball longer than they did against Pittsburgh, and win the game.

More NFL Commentary from this Contributor:

Browns lose in San Francisco: A fan’s reaction

Cleveland Browns’ future in the hands of McCoy, Little, and Hardesty: A fan’s look

Cleveland Browns squeak by a victory against Seattle Seahawks: A fan’s reaction

Sources:

All stats provided by NFL.com

Paul Rados is an avid New England Patriots fan and a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Follow him on Twitter @PSRados or leave him a message on Facebook. For a complete look at his freelance work please visit his Blog.

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Tom Brady hasn’t always been perfect. Not even against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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The Patriots quarterback has had more than his share of success against the black and gold, though, beating the Steelers six times in seven tries in his career, including two victories in the AFC championship game.

His only loss to Pittsburgh was on Halloween 2004, when he and the Patriots fell 34-20 at Heinz Field.

“It was a tough day for us. That was a rough day,” Brady recalled in his weekly news conference. “The fans were going crazy, the towels were waving and they were really into it.”

The Terrible Towels will be whipping round and round again on Sunday when Brady and the Patriots (5-1) visit Heinz Field once again in what figures to be a stellar matchup against the streaking Steelers (5-2).

Pittsburgh is coming off a 32-20 victory over the Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium and almost immediately after the game, Steelers players were already getting geared up for Brady and the Patriots.

“Oh, man, we can’t wait,” receiver Antonio Brown said. “We’re definitely looking forward to next week. It’s going to be a great challenge and we’re going to put a great week of work in to make sure we’re ready for those guys.”

Expert marksman

Brady has been exceptionally sharp in beating the Steelers each of the past four meetings. He’s averaged 332 passing yards and has thrown nine touchdowns against just one interception.

Reminded of those numbers by reporters last week, Brady shrugged it off as if it meant nothing.

“They’ve played us pretty good a few times, too,” he said. “We’ve had our moments and they’ve had their moments. I think we realize the kind of challenge that it is and we put a lot of time into the preparation and we put a lot of effort into understanding what we’re trying to accomplish from a game-plan standpoint and then we’ve executed well.

“But they’ve got a good defense. It’s a very good defense.”

The Steelers are ranked second in the NFL against the pass, allowing an average of 171.9 yards per game. Brady leads the league in passing, averaging 360.5 yards per game. His 16 touchdown passes are tied for third in the NFL.

But no matter what the Steelers and defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau have thrown at him, Brady has been able to pick Pittsburgh apart. He’s avoided blitz pressure, spreads the field, and gets rid of the ball quicker than most.

Brady torched the Steelers for three touchdowns and 350 yards last year in a regular-season game at Pittsburgh, which the Patriots won 39-26.

“They beat us pretty convincingly,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said in a conference call with reporters. ” . . . We have to play better. We have to prepare better. We have to put together a better plan than we did a year ago and ultimately, we have to perform better.”

Pick your poison

The Steelers chose to defend Brady by sitting back in zone coverage, preferring not to let him beat them with the big play. But if LeBeau decides to blitz Brady repeatedly, Pittsburgh’s defensive backs will be put in numerous one-on-one situations – and that’s where Brady can kill a defense.

But Brady knows how dangerous the Steelers defense can be.

“These guys make it tough on you,” he said. “I think they’re very physical, they cover well, and they have continuity in their defense. If you watch the Super Bowl from last year, they get after the quarterback, they really do. That’s the hallmark of this defense: They rush the passer, they stop the run, they’re a big, physical defense that plays hard and is very well coached.”

Pittsburgh’s offense has started to put it together, too, during its three-game win streak. After the victory in Glendale over the Cardinals, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said the Steelers are making strides.

“I still don’t think we’re there yet, but we’re getting closer,” he said. “I still think there are some things we can do to get better, but that’s good. It’s early enough in the year still where we can make those improvements.”

Tomlin likes the direction his team is headed, but he isn’t satisfied, either.

“We’re perfect by no stretch,” he said after beating the Cardinals. “I think we’re improving, we’re finding ways to win along the way. The arrow is pointing up and we’ve got to keep it pointed in that direction.”

(Sports Network) – Heinz Field has usually been a very frightening place for
teams facing the Pittsburgh Steelers over the years, though Tom Brady and the
New England Patriots haven’t seemed to be too intimidated.

The Patriots aim to continue their recent success in the Steel City when two of
the AFC’s premier teams square off Sunday in the headline matchup of the Week 8
schedule.

Pittsburgh won a pair of playoff games at home to represent the AFC in last
season’s Super Bowl, but the Patriots were the conference’s No. 1 overall seed
after amassing an NFL-best 14-2 record prior to the tournament. One of those
victories took place at Heinz Field during Week 10 of the 2010 campaign, a
39-26 triumph fueled by a 350-yard, four-touchdown performance out of Brady.

The reigning league MVP has had several other outstanding moments against the
Steelers over his glorious career. In his last four encounters with Pittsburgh,
which includes an appearance in the 2004 AFC Championship Game held at Heinz
Field, Brady has thrown for nine touchdowns and been intercepted just once in
leading New England to victories on each of those occasions.

Pittsburgh did rout the Patriots by a 33-10 count in New England in 2008, but
Brady did not play that day because of a torn ACL the superstar signal-caller
suffered in that year’s opener.

Counting the playoffs, the Patriots have left with a win in five of their last
six stops in Pittsburgh and are 6-1 all-time against the Steelers when Brady’s
been under center.

“They’ve played us pretty good a few times, too,” said Brady. “We’ve had our
moments and they’ve had their moments. I think we realize the kind of
challenge that it is, and we put a lot of time into the preparation and we put
a lot of effort into understanding what we’re trying to accomplish from a game-
plan standpoint and then we’ve executed well.”

This latest showdown between current division leaders on Halloween Eve will be
a battle of strength versus strength. New England boasts the NFL’s most
prolific aerial attack as well as the top-ranked overall offense, while
Pittsburgh is permitting just 171.9 passing yards per game (2nd overall) and
stands third in the league in both total defense and scoring defense.

The Patriots had a little additional time to prepare for the Steelers’
formidable stop unit, with the AFC East front-runners enjoying a Week 7 bye
that followed their third consecutive triumph, a hard-fought 20-16 decision
over Dallas on Oct. 16 in which Brady engineered a long go-ahead drive capped
by an eight-yard touchdown strike to tight end Aaron Hernandez with only 22
seconds left to play.

That result gave Brady and Pats head coach Bill Belichick their 116th career
victory together, which tied Miami’s combo of Don Shula and Dan Marino for the
most in NFL history by a coach/quarterback tandem.

Pittsburgh is also riding a three-game win streak and vaulted past rival
Baltimore and into first place in the AFC North after last Sunday’s 32-20
ousting of slumping Arizona.

Ben Roethlisberger led the way against the Cardinals by amassing 361 passing
yards and throwing for three scores, and the standout quarterback has compiled
a stellar 9-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio during the team’s present
surge.

Including its two wins in the 2010 AFC Playoffs, Pittsburgh has gone 8-1 at
Heinz Field since last November’s setback to New England and has outscored its
competition by a 79-30 margin in coming out on top in each of its three
previous matchups at home this season.

SERIES HISTORY

The Steelers have a 13-8 advantage in their all-time regular-season series
with the Patriots, but New England has emerged victorious in three of the last
four bouts between the clubs following last November’s above-noted 13-point
win at Heinz Field. The Patriots also bested Pittsburgh on the road by a 23-20
count in 2005 and posted a 34-13 verdict in a 2007 clash with the Steelers held
in Foxborough. Pittsburgh exacted revenge with the aforementioned 33-10 triumph
in Massachusetts the following year.

The teams have also met in the postseason four times since 1996, with the
Patriots claiming a 1996 AFC Divisional Playoff (28-3), the Steelers returning
the favor with a win in the 1997 AFC Divisional Round (7-6), and New England
prevailing in the 2001 (24-17) and 2004 (41-27) AFC Championships. The 1997,
2001, and 2004 meetings were all played in Pittsburgh.

Belichick has a 9-10 record against the Steelers, but is 6-2 versus the Black
and Gold since taking over in New England in 2000. Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin is
1-2 against both Belichick and the Patriots as a head coach.

WHEN THE PATRIOTS HAVE THE BALL

New England was incredibly successful in spreading the Steelers out defensively
and neutralizing Pittsburgh’s traditionally-potent pass rush in last year’s
tilt, as Brady (2163 passing yards, 16 TD, 8 INT) wasn’t sacked once in
completing a crisp 30-of-43 throws for 350 yards. As usual, the two-time MVP’s
favorite target was slot man extraordinaire Wes Welker (51 receptions, 785
yards, 6 TD), with terrific young tight end Rob Gronkowski (29 receptions, 401
yards, 5 TD) hauling in all three of Brady’s scoring deliveries in that
contest. The two comprise half of an outstanding foursome of targets for the
NFL’s No. 1 pass offense (350.3 ypg), as both Hernandez (27 receptions, 289
yards, 3 TD) and veteran wideout Deion Branch (26 receptions, 2 TD) can create
headaches for defenses as well. The biggest problems this year have been
caused by Welker, however, as the sure-handed Pro Bowler easily tops the league
in catches and receiving yards per game and has amassed 124 yards or more in
four of New England’s six outings. The Patriots use the running game primarily
to simply keep teams honest, but top back BenJarvus Green-Ellis (391 rushing
yards, 5 TD) is a powerful and effective player who totaled 87 yards on 18
carries in last November’s win over Pittsburgh.

Brady’s greatest challenge of the season could come this weekend, as the
Steelers have held enemy quarterbacks to a league-low 5.8 yards per pass
attempt and possess a couple of proven difference-makers in the secondary.
Strong safety Troy Polamalu (43 tackles, 1 sack) is the obvious headliner,
having earned the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year award with a sensational
2010 season, while Ike Taylor (14 tackles) is a true lock-down corner who
usually handles the opposition’s No. 1 receiver and doesn’t get tested all that
much. The back end is complemented nicely by Pittsburgh’s ability to generate
consistent pressure on the passer, a trademark under longtime coordinator Dick
LeBeau, and All-Pro outside linebacker James Harrison’s absence for the last
three weeks due to a fractured eye socket hasn’t slowed down the rush. The
Steelers have produced 10 sacks during their three-game win streak, Harrison
counterpart LaMarr Woodley (34 tackles, 7 sacks, 1 INT) has been on a tear with
his running mate sidelined, having notched a whopping 5 1/2 sacks over that
stretch, and will need to be a factor once again with Harrison also out this
week. Pittsburgh’s historically strong run defense has fallen off a bit this
season, with the club allowing an average of 4.5 yards a carry, but five-time
Pro Bowl nose tackle Casey Hampton’s expected return from a shoulder injury
that’s kept him out three straight game could help shore things up.

WHEN THE STEELERS HAVE THE BALL

With a balanced offense directed by a top-tier quarterback in Roethlisberger
(1937 passing yards, 12 TD, 6 INT), the Steelers may just have the firepower to
keep up with the explosive Patriots if this game becomes a shootout. The two-
time Super Bowl champion certainly did his part in last year’s test between the
teams, throwing for 387 yards and three scores in a losing cause. Two of those
touchdowns landed in the hands of wide receiver Mike Wallace (36 receptions,
730 receiving yards, 5 TD), perhaps the most dangerous deep threat in the game
today. The speedy playmaker is averaging better than 20 yards per catch for a
second straight year and has a reception of 40 or more yards in six straight
weeks, the longest streak in the NFL since St. Louis’ Isaac Bruce did so in
2000, and has a touchdown grab in three consecutive outings as well. He’s the
top option of a deep corps of pass-catchers that may not have crafty veteran
Hines Ward (26 receptions, 2 TD) this week due to a sprained ankle, though
youngsters Antonio Brown (25 receptions) and Emmanuel Sanders (13 receptions, 2
TD) are both capable fill-ins who combined for 12 receptions for 148 yards and
a score against the Cardinals last Sunday and trusty tight end Heath Miller (23
receptions, 2 TD) remains at Roethlisberger’s disposal as well. In the
backfield, leading rusher Rashard Mendenhall (351 rushing yards, 3 TD) is
coming off a 1,273-yard, 13-touchdown season in 2010, but has been held under
three yards per carry in three of his last four games while also missing time
with a hamstring injury.

It’s a good thing for New England the offense is so skilled at putting up
points, because the defense has been an inviting target for quarterbacks on the
schedule all year long. The Patriots are giving up a startling 322.2 passing
yards per game and have held only one team under the 300-yard mark thus far,
while their 423.7 total yards allowed per week is dead last in the league as
well. One bright spot in an otherwise disappointing secondary has been
cornerback Kyle Arrington (34 tackles, 6 PD), whose four interceptions are tied
for the second most among individuals, while 2010 first-round draft choice
Devin McCourty (38 tackles) made the Pro Bowl as a rookie last year before
going into a sophomore slump. New England has also struggled in mounting a
steady pass rush, and age seems to be getting the better of an experienced
front line in which starting ends Andre Carter (23 tackles, 2.5 sacks) and
Shaun Ellis are in their 11th and 12th seasons, respectively. The Patriots have
been generally solid in stopping the run even with well-regarded linebacker
Jerod Mayo (25 tackles) having missed two games with a knee sprain, though
teams have been more inclined to attack them through the air. Mayo was back
practicing during the bye week and is a possibility to suit up on Sunday.

KEYS TO THE GAME

Pressure Brady. The Steelers weren’t able to do so well enough in last year’s
meeting and paid the price. Though Taylor is an excellent corner capable of
shutting down whomever he’s assigned to, Pittsburgh still doesn’t have the
secondary depth to contain all of New England’s receivers, therefore it’ll be
up to Woodley and his mates to harass the MVP quarterback and force him into
quick decisions.

A big game out of Big Ben. As good as Pittsburgh’s defense is, it’s still a
stretch to think it’ll be able to keep the high-powered Patriots under 20
points, something no team has done in 15 straight games. That means
Roethlisberger will have to be sharp with his reads and take advantage of the
soft spots to be found in New England’s shaky secondary.

The turnover battle. This has been the Steelers’ sore spot all season long, as
they’re an NFL-worst minus-nine in takeaway-to-giveaway ratio and have forced a
mere three turnovers, also last in the league. Brady has been far from flawless
this year, having been intercepted four times in a Week 3 loss at Buffalo and
twice more in the Pats’ narrow win at Dallas two Sundays ago, but New England
is an awfully tough out when its quarterback is on point.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

The Patriots showed the blueprint for successfully moving the ball on the
Steelers when these teams faced off last season, and Belichick’s track record
in games in which he’s had extra time to game plan is very good. While
Pittsburgh will likely encounter difficulty slowing down the New England
offense for a second straight year, the Patriots will find it hard to prevent
Roethlisberger and Wallace from having their say in the outcome as well. This
could be a situation in which the team that has the ball last wins, but unless
the Steelers can solve their inability to create turnovers, matching their
prolific opponent score-for-score may be too tough an assignment.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Patriots 28, Steelers 24

The Sports Network