This is quietly a BIG matchup this week. Everyone saw what happened with the New England Patriots last week. They lost in primetime to the Seattle Seahawks. Not just to the Seahawks, but to backup quarterback Drew Lock. And they also lost new offseason acquisition A.J. Brown to a high-ankle sprain, and he will miss multiple weeks. It was more than just your average loss. So this week is key for them to get back on track with their aspiration of returning to the Super Bowl. 

And, when you factor all that in about New England, this becomes a statement game for the Pittsburgh Steelers as well. Aaron Rodgers has teamed up with his old buddy Mike McCarthy to take one last shot at Super Bowl glory. He’s obviously up there in age, but he’s also one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time who can still spin it under the right conditions. Beating the reigning AFC Champs would go a long way in proving that they are serious about competing in 2026. All that will factor into our predictions, picks, and odds for the Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New England Patriots here in Week 2.

 

 

 

🏅 Steelers vs. Patriots Expert Pick: Jaylen Warren Combined Rushing + Receiving Yards Under 68.5 (-113 on DraftKings Sportsbook)

Last week Jaylen Warren might have scored more fantasy points than Rico Dowdle. But that didn’t quite tell the entire story. There were some key situations where Dowdle was utilized over Jaylen Warren. Notably, in pass protection, Dowdle blocked on nine pass plays, and Warren blocked on zero. That actually saw Dowdle play more snaps overall, with 39 to only 25 for Jaylen Warren. And that was in a positive game script where the Steelers won.

This week is looking to be a tougher game. We don’t love betting on New England to cover this one, but the line obviously favors them. The over/under also suggests we could be looking at a low-scoring slog here. The game script could skew away from running for Pittsburgh, and we already know that Dowdle is looking like the preferred pass-down back. I think all of that could lead to a day where Jaylen Warren disappoints a bit. So we like taking the under on 68.5 combined rushing + receiving yards for him this week. 

 

 

 

👀 How To Watch Steelers vs. Patriots NFL Week 2

  • Where: Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA
  • When: 1:00 PM ET on 9/20
  • Watch on TV: CBS (Jim Nantz, J.J. Watt)
  • Where to stream: Paramount+, NFL+

 

 

 

🔢 Steelers vs. Patriots Odds, Spreads, Total & Betting Lines

 

 

 

🏉 Steelers vs. Patriots Injury Report & Latest News

The biggest news on the New England side is the AJ Brown injury. He landed on IR and, even if he returns later in the season, there isn’t a great history of guys coming back from the dreaded high ankle sprain to play at a high level. Romeo Doubs had a brutal Week 1, so they’ll either need a bounceback from him or for guys like Demario Douglas or Mack Hollins to step up.  The positive is that RB TreVeyon Henderson is fully cleared and LB Robert Spillane is ready to go after being nicked up. Cornerbacks Carlton Davis III (neck) and linebackers Dre'Mont Jones and Ben Brown are all questionable as of the latest update.

Pittsburgh comes in 1-0 after a win over Atlanta, and with their defense looking stout — they allowed just 4.2 yards per play in Week 1. But they have their own availability questions heading to Foxborough. CB Joey Porter is out with a back injury, which hurts a secondary that will need to be sharp against whatever weapons New England deploys post-Brown. WR Michael Pittman (foot) is questionable and considered unlikely to play. On the bright side, LT Troy Fautanu is questionable but practiced fully on Friday and is trending toward active, and both Darnell Washington and Cameron Heyward are a full go.

 

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