FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The Steelers will open their 2019 season against the same team that pretty much ended their 2018 season.
Don't misunderstand. The Patriots didn't literally end the Steelers' season in 2018. In fact, a 17-10 win against the Patriots on Dec. 16 just might have been the season's highlight. But it also marked the end of the road. They would lose in New Orleans the following week to fall behind the Ravens for first place in the AFC North, and even a victory against the Bengals in Week 17 couldn't get the Steelers back into the playoff picture.
That game also happened to be the last loss for the Patriots, who went on a five-game winning streak following the defeat at Heinz Field to win the Super Bowl. That allowed them to match the Steelers atop the list for Super Bowl wins with six.
Talk about adding insult to injury.
The Steelers, meanwhile, became the talk of the league, as Antonio Brown forced his way out of town, dragging the franchise -- and more notably, Ben Roethlisberger -- through the mud on his way out the door.
The Steelers finally get a chance to start writing a different narrative Sunday when they visit Gillette Stadium to start a new season, turning the page on what was a troubling chapter in the history of the storied franchise.
And what better place to do that than opening up against the defending Super Bowl champions, a team that has been your personal bogeyman?
"We get to start the season right going against a good team that’s a measuring stick for kind of where you are," cornerback Joe Haden said. "You’re going against a team that’s expected to have a great record at the end of the season, so to start off with them, it’s a chance to start off on the right foot."
At least that's the hope for the Steelers.
Making that happen against Tom Brady and company on opening night might be a different matter. The Patriots are 4-1 in openers after winning the Super Bowl. They've also won their past 14 games at Gillette Stadium. And since the league began having the defending Super Bowl champion host a prime time game to open the season, the champs have gone 12-3 in those openers.
The Patriots, however, were one of those defending Super Bowl losers on kickoff weekend, having been beaten by the Chiefs, 42-27, to open the 2017 season.
But Gillette Stadium also has been something of a nightmare for the Steelers, as well. They're 1-5 in the regular season against the Patriots there since it opened in 2002, including 0-5 against Brady.
Brady has thrown 18 touchdown passes with no interceptions in those five regular season wins against the Steelers at Gillette Stadium.
"It’s Tom Brady, so you’ve got to be on all your Ps and Qs. You’ve got to be on top of everything," said new Steelers linebacker Mark Barron, who played against the Patriots as a member of the Rams in the Super Bowl. "It’s all a matter of discipline, knowing where you’re supposed to be and making the plays. You have to be aware of what they like to do."
What the Patriots like to do is win. And they've done it a lot, especially at home. The Patriots are 115-21 at Gillette Stadium since it opened in 2002.
"We are going up there, I’m sure they are dropping a banner, doing whatever they are going to do," Roethlisberger said. "What an exciting and awesome opportunity for us all."
It's a chance to renew what has become one of the AFC's most anticipated rivalries between two of the best teams in the AFC year in and year out.
"I’ve been hearing about it since I got here. It’s a big rivalry game," Barron said. "They seem to play each other every year. Going back and forth with this team, that battle, I can feel the energy of it. I know it’s a big game."
THE ESSENTIALS
• When: 8:20 p.m.
• Where: Gillette Stadium
• TV: WPXI (local), NBC (national)
• Radio: 102.5 WDVE, ESPN Pittsburgh
• Satellite: SiriusXM 225, Internet 826
• Forecast: 70 degrees, 10% chance rain
• Lots open: 4 p.m.
• Will call open: 4 p.m.
• Gates open: 6:30 p.m.
• Boxscore: NFL Game Center
• Odds: MyBookie.AG
THE INJURY REPORT
Steelers: FS Sean Davis (ankle, doubtful)
Patriots: TE Matt LaCosse (ankle, questionable), S Obi Melifonwu (ankle, questionable), WR Demaryius Thomas (hamstring, questionable)
THE KEY VARIABLE
Rob Gronkowski. For years, the name alone was enough to send Steelers fans running for cover.
After all, the massive tight end had tortured the Steelers for the better part of the past decade after joining the Patriots in 2010.
Prior to last season's meeting at Heinz Field, Gronkowski had played six games against the Steelers, catching 39 passes for 661 yards and eight touchdowns. Then, last season, the Steelers finally figured things out against him, limiting him to two catches for 21 yards in their 17-10 victory.
Gronkowski retired after the Patriots' win over the Rams in the Super Bowl, much to the pleasure of anyone who ever had the opportunity to line up opposite him, leaving a gaping hole in New England's passing attack.
Nobody really knows what to expect out of the New England offense. The Patriots have four tight ends on their roster, but two -- veterans Ben Watson and Lance Kendricks -- won't play in this game because of suspension.
That leaves journeyman Matt LaCosse (27 career receptions) and Ryan Izzo to handle the team's tight end duties. And LaCosse missed practice time this week with an ankle injury, meaning Izzo, a 2018 seventh-round pick, will make his first career start. Izzo wasn't active for a single game last season.
Gronk he ain't.
"We don’t know what kind of personnel we are going to get, whether we are going to get four wides or three wides or regular people, all that stuff," Keith Butler said. "We are going to have to find out when we get there and adjust accordingly. I think we have in our mind what we think they are going to do, but you can’t be 100 percent sure. We aren’t 100 percent sure, but we are going to do the best we can to defend them."
But the Steelers do know the Patriots ran the ball more than all but two teams last season. And with running backs Sony Michel, James White, Rex Burkhead and rookie Damien Harris, the Patriots have an impressive stable of rushers and receivers out of the backfield.
The Steelers will counter with a new-look defense that includes Barron and rookie Devin Bush at inside linebacker, cornerback Steven Nelson and first-year pro Kameron Kelly at safety in place of injured Sean Davis.
"Tom is still a great quarterback, but I think they will try to take some of the pressure off of him by running the football," Butler said. "I know I would, and they have a good running game. They have a very capable running team and a lot of people don’t say much about that in trying to defend them and stuff like that. It is going to be a challenge for us to defend the run and Tom Brady at the same time."
But the Steelers feel they have the people to do that. Bush and Barron add a lot of speed to the middle of the field. And Nelson is an upgrade at cornerback over Coty Sensabaugh, who started there in the Steelers' win over the Patriots last season.
"I think it is one of the fastest defenses we have had in a while," Butler said. "We had some fast defenses when we were in the Super Bowls and stuff like that, but I think that this team — we will see how it is. That team back then was good because they could run, and they were smart and played together well. We will see how we play together. That is how it is going to determine how good we are."
THE HISTORY LESSON
The 1972 season is one well remembered in Pittsburgh. It is, after all, the year the season ended in a playoff berth and an Immaculate Reception that kickstarted a dynasty.
It's also the season the Steelers and Patriots played for the first time.
The game occurred Oct. 22, 1972 at Three Rivers Stadium between two teams headed in opposite directions.
The Steelers entered the game at 3-2, while the Patriots, who had moved over from the AFL in the 1970 merger, were 2-3.
But this game would be all about the young, upstart Steelers.
After a Roy Gerela field goal made it 3-0, linebacker Jack Ham picked off a Jim Plunkett pass and returned it 32 yards to give the Steelers a 10-0 lead after one quarter.
Terry Bradshaw then found Ron Shanklin for a 30-yard touchdown pass to give the Steelers a 17-0 halftime lead.
Charlie Gogolak got the Patriots on the board in the third quarter with a 16-yard field goal -- yes, 16 yards -- before the Steelers closed the game out with a 28-yard touchdown run and two more Gerela field goals for a 33-3 win.
Plunkett had a miserable day, getting sacked seven times while completing 12 of 27 passes for 165 yards and two interceptions, Running back Carl Garrett accounted for well over half of New England's yardage in the game, picking up 92 yards on five receptions and 97 yards rushing.
Bradshaw was efficient for the Steelers, completing 7 of 11 passes for 173 yards and a touchdown. Frenchy Fuqua powered the Steelers' rushing attack — which gained 243 yards — with 111 yards on 17 carries.
The win helped the Steelers rebound from a 2-2 start as they won seven of their final eight games after this to finish 11-3. The Patriots, meanwhile, went the other way. They won just one more game the rest of the way, finishing 3-11, and would have to wait until 1976 to get their first victory over the Steelers.
THE MAIN MATCHUP
Ben Roethlisberger threw for just 235 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in the matchup with the Patriots last season. It marked his lowest single-game passing output in a season in which he led the NFL with 5,129 yards.
The Steelers played the game without starting running back James Conner. But his backup, Jaylen Samuels, gained 142 yards on 19 carries and caught two passes for another 30 yards, accounting for 172 of Steelers' 376 yards in the game.
It was the first 100-yard rushing game for Samuels not only in the NFL, but college or high school, as well.
"It was just the game plan," said Conner. "The offensive linemen did a great job. He had a great day rushing and receiving. It’s a credit to our line, his talent, and the game plan."
But the Patriots also held Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster to eight combined catches for 89 yards and a touchdown, doubling them throughout the game and daring the Steelers to run the ball with their untested running back.
The Steelers were only too happy to do so. And Samuels made them pay.
"I'm pretty sure (that was the game plan)," Samuels said. "That would be my game plan against us. When I had an opportunity to make a play, I just made a play. I just look forward to doing that this year whenever that opportunity presents itself."
That could come as soon as this game.
After leading the NFL with 675 passing attempts last season, the Steelers want to run the ball a little more than they did a year ago. And the strength of the Patriots defense lies in its secondary, led by Pro Bowl corner Stephon Gilmore.
The Patriots figure to try to lock down on Smith-Schuster again in this game -- despite corner J.C. Jackson's insistence he isn't one of the top receivers in the NFL.
"In my opinion, I don’t think so,” Jackson told reporters in Boston this week when asked if Smith-Schuster is one of the best, according to MassLive.com. “There’s a lot of good receivers in the NFL, you know?”
There are. And there weren't many that had more than the 111 catches and 1,497 receiving yards posted by Smith-Schuster in his second season in 2018.
If the Patriots do double Smith-Schuster, that means others will need to make plays, including newcomer Donte Moncrief, second-year receiver James Washington and tight end Vance McDonald. The Steelers also could use some packages in which both Conner and Samuels are on the field together to try to create matchup issues.
"I think they complement each other really well," Steelers offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner said. "James really came on last year, and his role increased so much, giving the circumstances at the beginning of the year. So he’s shown the ability to do that. When he was out, Jaylen got an opportunity to actually be a feature back, and that meant first, second, and third down. When they’re both healthy you might be able to use both of them to their strengths that they bring to the table. And Jaylen is very accomplished as a possible route runner, as a possible protector, so you hope that signs of growth will be in that area of our group."
THE QUOTES
• "I often kid him, a nose guard is like Blockbuster Video, he better diversify." -- Mike Tomlin talking about nose tackle Javon Hargrave's ability to rush the passer
• "Well, I am not going to get into all that, but obviously we have plans." -- Butler on if the Steelers would attack Patriots backup center Ted Karras and first-year starting left tackle Isaiah Wynn
• "He’s one of the best if not the best slot receivers. The way he reads coverages, it’s better than a lot of the slots I’ve played against. The way that he and Brady have that connection, he’s in that right spot at the right time and the ball is going to get there. I’m excited for the challenge." -- Steelers nickel corner Mike Hilton on Patriots receiver Julian Edelman
THE TEN DATA POINTS
• Since Tomlin became head coach in 2007, the Patriots have the league's best record at 150-42, with four Super Bowl appearances. The Steelers are second in the NFL in that span with a 125-66-1 record and two Super Bowl appearances.
• The Steelers are 28-21 in Sunday night games, but had a nine-game winning streak in those games broken in 2018 and have lost their last two Sunday night games.
• Roethlisberger and Tomlin enter 2019 with 115 wins together, which ranks fourth in NFL history for a QB-coach combination. They need one win to tie Dan Marino and Don Shula for third place on that list. Bill Belichick and Brady are No. 1 with 207 victories.
• Since the start of the 2001 season, the Patriots are 121-23 -- when Brady became their starting quarterback -- at home, including 27-9 in primetime games.
• The Patriots allowed 21 sacks in 2018 to rank third in the league in that statistic. The Steelers were fourth with 24 sacks permitted. Indianapolis led the way with just 18, while the Saints were second with 20.
• Cam Heyward needs one sack to tie Dwight White for ninth on the Steelers' all-time list with 46.
• T.J. Watt is one of just three players in the NFL the past two seasons to have 20 sacks and at least seven forced fumbles. The Rams' Aaron Donald and Broncos' Von Miller are the others.
• This will mark the fourth time -- all in Foxborough -- the Steelers and Patriots have met on the opening weekend of the regular season. The Patriots have won two of the three previous matchups.
• Roethlisberger enters the season having been sacked 500 times in his career. That's 25 behind Brett Favre for the most in NFL history. But Roethlisberger hasn't been sacked more than 24 times in a season since 2014.
• The Steelers are 38-32-4 on opening weekend in their history.
FANTASY CORNER
We're going to change things up here this week. I'm going to look at DraftKings.com and give you the best plays of the day or weekend. That might include some players from this game, but it also might not. Today's lineup will feature the 15 Sunday and Monday games with a $50,000 salary limit.
Quarterback: DeShaun Watson ($6,800) -- Watson and the Texans are going to have to throw the ball to keep up with the Saints at home. Plus, he gives the added dimension of running the ball.
Running backs: Dalvin Cook ($6,000), Chris Carson ($5,700) -- The Falcons defense is content to allow running backs to catch the ball and then tackle the catch. Cook should be a PPR stud this week. Carson, meanwhile, gets the Bengals at home. He's a nice value this week.
Wide receivers: DeAndre Hopkins ($8,200), Tyler Boyd ($5,800), Will Fuller ($4,900) -- As you can see, I'm all in on the Houston passing game. Hopkins is as tough a matchup as there is for any cornerback. And any time Fuller is on the field, you've got to play him given his chemistry with Watson. Boyd should get double digit targets in this game and the Seahawks' corners might be the worst in the NFL.
Tight end: Delanie Walker ($3,500) -- Great value pick here. Walker is Marcus Mariota's favorite target. And he'll have Browns safety Morgan Burnett trying to cover him.
Flex: Austin Ekelar ($5,500) -- Don't overthink this. If you've got a chance to add a starting running back at a nice price as a flex, go for it.
Defense: Eagles ($3,600) -- The Redskins will be playing without their best offensive lineman (Trent Williams) and a group of receivers who aren't even household names in their own homes. Philly should dominate.
Our football coverage team offers predictions not only for this game, but this week, we'll also make our picks for the AFC and NFC playoff teams and Super Bowl:
Dale Lolley: This is a tough spot for the Steelers. They're a better overall team right now than the Patriots, but it's tough to beat the defending Super Bowl champions in their home opener when banners are being unveiled and all the hoopla is taking place. The Steelers will keep this close with their defense and running game, but Brady and company will pull out the win. That said, as you can see below, the Steelers will get the last laugh, knocking the Patriots off when it matters, in the postseason, keeping them out of the AFC Championship for the first time since 2011. Patriots 20, Steelers 17
AFC playoff teams: 1. Chiefs. 2. Patriots. 3. Steelers, 4. Texans. 5. Chargers. 6. Browns
NFC playoff teams: 1. Saints. 2. Eagles. 3. Vikings. 4. Rams, 5. Packers. 6. Cowboys
AFC Championship: Chiefs over Steelers
NFC Championship: Saints over Eagles
Super Bowl: Saints over Chiefs
Christopher Carter: The Steelers have built their defense specifically to stop the style of offense the Patriots like to use — underneath passing that accounts for all five targets available on any given play. They have the defensive front to create pressure up the middle and off the edges while adding the speed to the middle of the defense and accountability to the cornerback position. That will negate Brady in this game enough so that Roethlisberger can be the deciding factor. After an offseason of talk about him and the departing stars, I see him being ready to have a solid start. Steelers 24, Patriots 20.
AFC playoff teams: 1. Kansas City, 2. Steelers, 3. New England, 4. Houston, 5. Chargers, 6. Baltimore
NFC playoff teams: 1. New Orleans, 2. Dallas, 3. Green Bay, 4. Seattle, 5. Philadelphia, 6. Chicago
AFC Championship: Steelers over Kansas City
NFC Championship: New Orleans over Green Bay
Super Bowl: Steelers over New Orleans
Matt Sunday: My opinion when it looked like Antonio Brown was headed out of town was that the core of this team was no longer intact. There was no guarantee the offensive line would be the same, James Washington didn't have the rookie year I thought he would and there were still so many questions on defense. I believe I was wrong. Ramon Foster is here, the team feels like a solid unit, the defense is one Vin Diesel short of being truly fast and furious and I like this group of receivers -- unproven or not. I like them on the season ... I just don't think I like them in New England for Week 1. Going to be a good one, though. Patriots 27, Steelers 24
AFC playoff teams: 1. New England, 2. Kansas City, 3. Houston, 4. Browns, 5. Los Angeles Chargers, 6. Steelers
NFC playoff teams: 1. New Orleans, 2. Dallas, 3.Los Angeles Rams, 4. Minnesota, 5. Philadelphia, 6. Bears
AFC Championship: New England over Kansas City
NFC Championship: Dallas over New Orleans
Super Bowl: New England over Dallas
Hunter Homistek: The Steelers haven't defeated the Patriots in Foxborough since 2008. In that one, Jeff Reed drilled four field goals and *checks notes* Gary Russell ran one in for a score. And — I can't stress this enough — Matt Cassel was the Patriots' quarterback throughout. So, yeah. Although I do think this Steelers team is improved from 2018 and I do think even last year's squad was playoff-caliber, this is just ... a tough draw. This Steelers team, to me, feels built for one of those peak-at-the-right-time, late-season runs. All the young talent will make an impact, but they will take some time. Patriots 31, Steelers 20
AFC playoff teams: 1. New England, 2. Kansas City, 3. Steelers, 4. Houston, 5. Browns, 6. Chargers
NFC playoff teams: 1. New Orleans, 2. Dallas, 3. Los Angeles Rams, 4. Minnesota, 5. Philadelphia, 6. Green Bay
AFC Championship: Steelers over New England
NFC Championship: New Orleans over Dallas
Super Bowl: New Orleans over Steelers
Dejan Kovacevic: At some point, it won't matter that the Patriots keep losing players. Good players. Great players. It won't matter that Chris Hogan isn't around to present a Julian Edelman alternative. It won't matter that Gronkowski's off to the big retirement party yacht. It won't matter that they've got one of the NFL's leakiest run defenses. It won't matter that, on any given Sunday, even a Super Bowl, they can take the field with less talent, less depth than the opponent. And maybe this will be that point. Because Brady and the Patriots are notoriously slow starters, anyway. And the visitors won't be. Steelers 27, Patriots 20
AFC playoff teams: 1. Chiefs. 2. Steelers. 3. Patriots. 4. Texans. 5. Chargers. 6. Ravens
NFC playoff teams: 1. Saints. 2. Rams. 3. Eagles. 4. Packers. 5. Cowboys. 6. Seahawks
AFC Championship: Chargers over Chiefs
NFC Championship: Rams over Saints
Super Bowl: Rams over Chargers
