Patriots die of own mistakes in loss to Steelers

By TOM KEEGAN
https://www.bostonherald.com/2018/12/16/keegan-patriots-die-of-own-mistakes-in-loss-to-steelers/
December 17, 2018


Tom Brady is sacked by T.J. Watt during the third quarter of the game at Heinz Field on December 16, 2018 in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania. (Staff Photo By Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)

Pittsburgh — If you blocked out the roar of the black-and-gold-clad crowd on a chilly night and listened closely, I swear you could hear the ticking of the clock on the Patriots’ dynasty growing a touch louder last night at Heinz Field.

If it’s possible for a winning football team to look at once old and inexperienced, the Patriots mastered that undesirable juggling act in losing to the Steelers, 17-10.

In such atypical fashion, the Patriots died of their own hands with 14 penalties for 106 yards and a turnover on a desperate throw from an under-duress Tom Brady.

Steelers receivers were the ones showcasing the outrageous athleticism that youth can bring, while the Patriots dropped multiple passes.

The predictable script had been penned and it called for the Steelers to blow another lead and for the Patriots to win another game by not losing it. The Steelers did their part. The Patriots did their best Steelers impersonation.

The Patriots hung around all game, but never could quite get anything going, so it was going to take the Steelers choking to jar the visitors awake in time to keep their winning streak against the Steelers from expiring.

Playing his role just in time, beleaguered Steelers kicker Chris Boswell bladed a chip shot, missing a 32-yard field goal. Ben Roethlisberger did his part throwing his second interception (Duron Harmon) on a night he extended his streak of games against the Patriots with at least one pick to eight.

Now it was the Patriots’ turn to cash in on the mistake to start the comeback, and for the majority of the final two drives, they looked up to the task.

The first drive started with 13:29 on the clock at the Patriots’ 41 and ended and ended at the Steelers’ 6 with Brady trying and failing to throw the ball out of bounds. Steelers cornerback Joe Haden left his feet, went way above the rim, reached for the sky and came down with the ball in bounds. Injured on the play but not enough that he didn’t return, Edelman didn’t leave his feet. Gronkowski was in the vicinity as well.

“Trying to throw it away and didn’t,” Brady said. “I was just trying to flick it out of bounds, not take a sack. That shouldn’t happen.”

The Patriots had a first-and-goal at the 5 and Brady’s interception came on a third-down play on a second-and-goal from the 16, courtesy of a Marcus Cannon holding penalty. On a night the Patriots were flagged five times for illegal motion, the O-line had multiple infractions before and after the snap.

The Steelers had silenced long-time nemesis Rob Gronkowski all night until the monster of their dreams resurfaced on that drive, picking up first downs with catches of 12 and 11 yards.

By the time the Patriots regained possession, Boswell had expanded the lead to 14-10 with a 48-yard field goal and 2:30 remained for Brady to work his magic.

Brady hit Edelman for 34 yards and before you knew it, the Patriots were starting at first-and-10 on the Pittsburgh 16. Four incompletions later, Roethlisberger took a knee.

It was a sloppy end to a 3-5 road season in so many ways. Edelman dropped two passes and drew a penalty flag, and Josh Gordon dropped one as well.

As for the multiple holding penalties, Brady said, “That’s what we do, we hold. It’s just whether you get called or not,” meaning it has become such a judgment call. He stopped short of criticizing the refs and asked the assembled media: “What did you guys think?”

When someone answered, “Hard to say,” Brady said, “That’s what I felt,” as in he can’t say what he thought.

But Brady knows the Patriots’ road woes weren’t caused by the men dropping the flags.

Surely, the crowd noise factored in the motion penalties, but veteran teams tend to hand such situations better than younger ones. Not the Patriots (9-5), who finish at home against the Bills and Jets.