Stick a fork in them: New England Patriots carved up by Pittsburgh Steelers, 10-33
New England Patriots 10-33 loss at home to the Pittsburgh Steelers underscore how average the Brady-less and defensively personnel depleted Patriots are. Had they played a tougher schedule this year they would be lucky to be a .500 team at this point given the circumstances they’ve battled this season. There’s a sharp dividing line between the league’s second tier-teams (such as the Steelers) and the third-tier where the Patriots currently reside. Theoretically, the Patriots could somehow tumble into the playoffs thanks to the unremarkable caliber of play in AFC East, but realistically they’re done.
Quarterback Matt Cassel was intercepted twice, once when the ball bounced off the hands of tight end Benjamin Watson, and fumbled twice when he was sacked in the pocket. Both fumbles were recovered by the defense and set up Steelers scores. A big question regarding Cassel is whether he is good enough to win tough games as opposed to competently manage close ones. The answer so far this season has been a no. That could change. With more playing time under his belt he could mature into such a quarterback, but it should be noted he’s in his fourth year in the NFL I can’t help but think that he is what he is. A surprisingly competent quarterback who isn’t likely to become a big deal. That said, it is not his fault that the Patriots have gone down the tubes this year. He’s a seventh-round draft pick for crying out loud.
