Patriots’ future hinges on rebound against Steelers

By KAREN GUREGIAN
https://www.bostonherald.com/2018/12/15/patriots-future-hinges-on-rebound-against-steelers/
December 15, 2018


Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports



PITTSBURGH – The Patriots don’t want to let what happened in the closing moments of last week’s Miami game define them, or their season.

It still might, depending on how they’re able to bounce back Sunday against the Steelers.

Historically, Bill Belichick-coached teams have always been resilient. They’ve always responded in the face of adversity. Getting past the aftershocks of last Sunday’s loss, giving up a 69-yard hook-and-ladder play to the Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium in the closing seconds will be another major hurdle for the Patriots.

Adding salt to the wound, their head coach was questioned and criticized all week for having the wrong personnel on the field for that fateful play. The players themselves were also slammed for the poor attempts made at tackling Kenyan Drake, who eventually scored the game-winner as the recipient of the final lateral.

All of that can be tossed aside if they rebound against the Steelers. That response should determine the rest of their season.

Right now, sitting at 9-4, the AFC’s second seed, beating Pittsburgh would go a long way towards wrapping up the No. 2 spot and gaining home field and a first-round bye. A loss?

That puts the second seed in jeopardy, and leaves them open to playing wild card weekend. A loss also puts playing on the road, where they’re currently 3-4, into the mix during the playoffs. The Pats haven’t won a road playoff game since the 2006 playoffs.

Given what’s at stake, Patriots linebacker Kyle Van Noy, who was on the field for that maddening final play last week, said the team has to turn the page on Miami and focus on the business at hand.

“You can’t worry about the last game. You have to focus and move forward,” he said. “We still have three games left. We have to learn from the mistakes in the last game, but we have to keep the pressure on and keep pushing forward. It’s a must win for both teams.”

Indeed, it is.

The Steelers, at 7-5-1, have lost three straight and are clinging to the AFC North lead. They’re even more desperate for a win than the Patriots.

They’re also banged up with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger not practicing with a rib problem and running back James Conner, who didn’t play last week against the Raiders, also missing practice time.

The Patriots are expecting Roethlisberger to play and battle until the very end to try and put the Steelers over the top. He’s always been a tough quarterback to bring down, not to mention a tough one to play against.

“Ben’s Ben. He’s going to make the throws no matter how he is,” said Patriots safety Patrick Chung said, alluding to Roethlisberger’s toughness. “He’s going to go out there and try and win the game. That’s what we’re going to see from him, that’s what I’ve seen from him the 10 years I’ve been in the league.”

All of Roethlisberger’s heroics and toughness haven’t meant much to this rivalry in the recent past. The Patriots have handled the two-time Super Bowl winner just fine. Tom Brady (7-1 in the last eight games alone with a 70.8 completion percentage) has out-duelled him at every turn.

But Belichick’s team is back on the road, where they’ve suffered an inordinate amount of blow-out type losses (Jacksonville, Detroit, Tennessee), all of those coming before last Sunday’s last-second gut-punch in South Florida.

If they come up short against the Steelers, a team they’ve beaten five straight times, a team they’ve owned no matter the venue, it’s going to be hard picturing them making a Super Bowl run.

“History doesn’t matter. It’s just all about how we’re going to perform this Sunday,” said running back James White. “We’ve just got to have a good week of practice, come out ready to go from the start. They’re a good football team, good defensively, offensively and on special teams. It’s going to take everything we have so we’ve just got to go out there and bounce back.”

Last year, their 27-24 comeback win against the Steelers in this very same spot Week 15 helped them wrap up the top seed and fueled their march to the Super Bowl.

While last week didn’t go the way anyone would have ever imagined in those closing moments, the Patriots can either let it further devastate them and their season, or they can rally together, move on and see where the road takes them.

“We have a big challenge ahead. We can’t dwell on the past,” said center David Andrews. “Win or lose, it doesn’t matter if you win 100-0, or lose 0-100, you come in Monday, fix your mistakes, Tuesday you start thinking about the other team, and Wednesday you’re fully immersed. There’s no time to sit and dwell on anything.”

The only thing they’re thinking about is Pittsburgh, and making sure they take care of business. If they don’t, that one play will linger on.

PREDICTION – Patriots 30, Steelers 27