FOXBORO, Mass. -- The Steelers' attempt at a fast start went fssssst last night.
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Steelers quarterback Kordell Stewart is tackled by New England Patriots defensive tackle Richard Seymour. Stewart was sacked five times and intercepted three times in the Steelers' 30-14 season-opening loss before a national audience on Monday Night Football. (Peter Diana, Post-Gazette) |
The New England Patriots unveiled a new stadium and a new Super Bowl banner, but it was all old hat for them when it came time to play the Steelers.
New England, which might be the first Super Bowl champ to open defense of its title at home as an underdog, upset the Steelers for the second time in two games, and the Patriots did it in style to christen Gillette Stadium.
The game last night wasn't as big as it was Jan. 27, but the Patriots won in a much more convincing fashion, 30-14. It was further proof that their upset in the AFC championship game at Heinz Field was no fluke.
"We played like crap," safety Lee Flowers said.
Added guard Alan Faneca, "They kicked our ass. They played good, you know?"
The Patriots abandoned their running game, went to the air and took advantage of a slew of Steelers mistakes. The Steelers lost five turnovers.
Kordell Stewart threw two of his three interceptions in his first three passes. He also lost a fumble when he was sacked in the fourth quarter. Jerome Bettis lost his first fumble in three seasons after 759 carries without losing one. A first down at the 1 turned into a missed 39-yard field goal by Todd Peterson.
Everything, it seemed, fell apart for the Steelers, who lost an opener for the third consecutive year and seventh in the past 10.
"We talk about playing on the road that the important things you want to do are start fast and play smart, and we did neither," Coach Bill Cowher said.
Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady threw three touchdown passes and Adam Vinatieri, who provided the winning kick against the Rams in New Orleans, booted three field goals as the Patriots turned a 10-7 halftime lead into a third-quarter runaway. Brady completed 29 of 43 passes for 294 yards.
In the first quarter, the Patriots scored on Brady's 4-yard pass to tight end Christian Fauria and the Steelers scored on Stewart's 13-yard scoring pass to Hines Ward. Vinatieri's 45-yard field goal gave the Patriots a 10-7 halftime lead and they never took a rest.
New England broke the game open in the third quarter on Brady's 40-yard touchdown pass to Donald Hayes, his 22-yard scoring pass to Deion Branch and Vinatieri's 28-yard field goal as the Patriots did little but throw the ball and use the no-huddle offense. Vinatieri added a 27-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. Stewart scored the Steelers' second touchdown on a 1-yard dive as time expired.
"We shot ourselves in the foot," said Ward, who led the Steelers with eight catches for 90 yards.
If the Steelers' start was bad, Stewart's was horrendous. His first pass flew over the head of Plaxico Burress on a deep route. His second pass was underthrown, and Patriots cornerback Terrell Buckley intercepted it -- the first of two for Buckley.
New England did not convert that turnover in points, but they took advantage of the next.
Stewart's third pass went into the hands of linebacker Mike Vrabel, with no Steelers receiver near him.
The Patriots took over at the Steelers' 26 and, with the help of three Steelers penalties, moved to the 4 where Brady found Fauria alone for a touchdown pass and a 7-0 New England lead with 10:57 left in the first quarter.
Stewart, who completed 24 of 37 passes for 242 yards, made amends on his next series that started and ended with Ward and Ty Law. Law interfered with Ward on Stewart's first pass for a 23-yard penalty. Stewart ran for a first down and completed his next four passes, the final one to Ward that covered 13 yards and a touchdown that made the score, 7-7, with 4:50 left in the first quarter. Ward caught Stewart's pass at the 7 and put a nice fake on Law at the 6 to reach the end zone.
The Steelers' next series had promise, but wound up in a comedy of errors. They turned a first down at the Patriots' 1 into a missed 39-yard field goal attempt.
It began with Stewart's 17-yard pass to Ward, a 16-yard run by Bettis, an 8-yard pass to Mark Bruener and a 10-yard run by Stewart to the New England 15. Stewart threw to Ward in the end zone on the next play and Law again was called for pass interference.
That put the ball at the 1. Bettis crashed into the end zone on the next play. But officials called a false-start penalty on left tackle Wayne Gandy.
"I didn't do anything," Gandy said. "I was amazed."
The drive unraveled from there.
"We have to punch that in," Ward said.
Back at the 6, linebacker Ted Bruschi spilled Stewart for a 1-yard loss on a draw. Stewart rolled right and threw a pass to Plaxico Burress in the end zone, but Burress could not get both feet down in bounds. On third down, Stewart completed a pass to Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala to the1. But Fuamatu-Ma'afala, jostled under the pile, got up and pushed safety Lawyer Milloy for a 15-yard penalty.
With the ball now on the 16, Todd Peterson lined up for a field goal, but Kimo von Oelhoffen was called for a false start, moving it back to the 21. Peterson then missed a 39-yard field goal wide right.
"We missed a very makeable field goal," Cowher said.
New England charged right down on eight consecutive passes by Brady, six of them completions, for Vinatieri's 45-yard field goal and a 10-7 New England lead at the half.
The Patriots abandoned their running game early, trying just four times in the first half, all to Antowain Smith, for 9 yards.
New England stuck to the passing game to open the second half, despite von Oelhoffen's second sack of the game for an 11-yard loss to start it. Brady then hit David Patten with a 37-yard pass against man-to-man coverage by Deshea Townsend. On the next play, Brady threw a short pass to Hayes, who faked out cornerback Dewayne Washington at the 28 and completed a 40-yard touchdown reception as the Patriots snatched a 17-7 lead with 13:27 left in the third quarter.
Bettis then ripped off his second long run, for 14 yards, but safety Victor Green stripped the ball and recovered the fumble at the Steelers' 49. New England's series seemingly ended when Troy Brown's 19-yard catch along the sideline on third down was ruled incomplete, but Bill Belichick asked for a replay challenge and the referee ruled Brown had both feet in bounds when he made the catch.
Given new life, the Patriots moved in for a touchdown and the kill when Deion Branch caught a short pass on the right from Brady, stepped around Townsend and then safety Brent Alexander to complete a 22-yard touchdown reception.
With 7:03 left in the third quarter, the Patriots led, 24-7.
Buckley's second interception of Stewart on the next series provided the Patriots with another opportunity, starting at their 49. Vinatieri wrapped that one up with a 28-yard field goal for a 27-7 lead with 2:08 left in the third quarter.
After three quarters, Brady had thrown 38 times and the Patriots had 12 runs from scrimmage.
Vinatieri's 27-yard field goal in the fourth quarter came after Josh Miller shanked a 24-yard punt.
Ed Bouchette can be reached at ebouchette@post-gazette.com or 412-263-3878.
Steelers' season starts like the last season ended -- with a loss to New England 
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