The Pittsburgh Steelers hung on to win 20-13 in their season opener against the Falcons, but a much tougher test awaits them in Week 2. They will travel a few hours north to Foxborough to take on the defending AFC Champion New England Patriots, who are coming off a disappointing Week 1 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Pittsburgh is looking to bounce back offensively after needing a spectacular interception return touchdown from T.J. Watt to squeak past Atlanta last week, and the Patriots are in the same boat. Star quarterback Drake Maye threw three interceptions (all in the fourth quarter) and failed to consistently move the ball against a dominant Seattle defense.
On the other side of the ball, both defenses are hoping to continue a strong start. Both units allowed just 13 points and under 300 total yards.
How will a few major injuries/absences sway things? What are the big storylines? When and where can you tune in to find out? You can find all that, plus a prediction, below.
- How to watch Steelers vs. Patriots in Week 2
- Steelers vs. Patriots injury updates
- Storylines to watch for Steelers in Week 2
- Prediction
How to watch Steelers vs. Patriots in Week 2
- Date: Sunday, September 20
- Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
- TV Network: CBS
- Announcers: Jim Nantz, J.J. Watt, Tracy Wolfson
Steelers vs. Patriots injury updates
You will be able to find the inactives here once they are announced, but there are already a few key injuries that we know will impact this week's game.
Steelers
Joey Porter Jr. continues to be out with a back/conditioning/contract issue, putting pressure on Asante Samuel Jr. to once again fill in for him. Pittsburgh will also be without their leading receiver from Week 1, as Michael Pittman Jr. was ruled out on Saturday with a foot injury. Troy Fautanu was limited for much of the week, but he appears to be ready to roll against New England.
Patriots
Star wide receiver A.J. Brown's trip to the Injured Reserve looms large, but he isn't the only high-profile player not suiting up for the Patriots against the Steelers. Cornerback Carlton Davis has been ruled out for the Week 2 contest with a neck injury. Their top edge rusher, Dre'Mont Jones, is also less than 100% with a foot injury. That will be worth monitoring.
Storylines to watch for Steelers in Week 2
Can the Steelers' run game help complement a more aggressive passing game?
To say that the Steelers struggled to run the ball consistently against the Falcons would be an understatement. According to Sumer Sports, Pittsburgh's 23.8% rushing success rate finished dead last among all 32 teams in Week 1, and the raw numbers do nothing to suggest otherwise.
They finished with just 58 yards on 21 total carries, with Jaylen Warren's 46 yards doing the heavy lifting. Free-agent pickup Rico Dowdle was completely bottled up in his Steelers debut, and the run blocking overall left plenty to be desired. If Aaron Rodgers is going to have more success throwing the ball down the field in 2026, a threatening running game that pulls defenders into the box will be a must.
Rodgers tried to push the ball in Week 1, but a combination of drops, missed pass interference calls, and a lack of separation doomed any chance of success. A better day on the ground against New England could help reverse that result.
Is Germie Bernard ready to fill Michael Pittman Jr.'s shoes?
Pittman led all Steelers receivers with 58 yards in his first game donning the Black and Gold, on just three receptions, no less. His absence this week is not what any fans wanted to see, but it does open up a golden opportunity for one of the Steelers' most exciting rookie additions.
Germie Bernard played just three offensive snaps in his NFL debut, but that number could balloon ten-fold against the Patriots. He is the only other true receiver on the roster behind DK Metcalf and Roman Wilson, and his reliable hands and run-after-catch skills could be exactly what the passing offense needs after Week 1's struggles.
Can the Steelers' secondary take advantage of A.J. Brown's absence and Drake Maye's struggles?
Maye was a bona fide MVP candidate in 2025, even factoring in the unusually favorable schedule he got to face. Since the start of last season's playoffs, however, he has been more of a detriment to his team than an asset. Over his last five starts, he has thrown just seven touchdowns and averaged just over 200 yards per game through the air, all while throwing seven interceptions and being sacked 24 times.
The addition of Brown was supposed to help dig the talented third-year passer out of his slump, but now he won't get the chance until the middle of the season.
The Steelers' secondary looked dominant against Atlanta for the most part, but can they replicate that success against a much more talented unit, even without its top pass catcher? I have my doubts.
Is T.J. Watt really back to his old self, or was it a Week 1 mirage?
Watt wasn't the same player last season that fans had become accustomed to. After nearly a decade of being one of the NFL's most productive pass rushers, his seven sacks in 2025 felt like a massive regression. This is a player who hadn't finished with fewer than 11.5 sacks in a full season since his rookie year in 2017. Sure, he missed three games with a very strange lung injury, but 14 games is enough for a player like Watt to expect 10+ sacks.
In Week 1, he showed that he is still capable of wrecking games as both a pass rusher and run defender, finishing with two sacks and multiple splash plays against the run. Oh, and he pulled off the pick-six I referenced earlier that ultimately won the Steelers the game.
As much as I would love to assume that lowering his snap count (just 38 compared to an average of nearly 60 a year ago) and the new defense under Patrick Graham have helped Watt turn back time, I want to see it again against a better tackle duo. If he has another spectacular day against New England, it may be time to walk back talk of his days as an elite player being over.
Prediction
Steelers 24, Patriots 21
Despite serious reservations about the overall quality of this Steelers team, I am picking them to go into Foxborough and steal a win from the reigning AFC Champions. Maye's recent struggles, injuries to two of their best players, and questions about their running game make me feel like an upset is a real possibility here.
Both teams are very different at this point, but the Steelers managed to beat this team a year ago thanks to forcing a staggering five turnovers. While I don't think they need that many to win this time around, I think they can rattle Maye with their pass rush and force a few bad decisions for the secondary to capitalize on.
It may take another heroic performance from either Watt or another of Pittsburgh's veteran defenders to pull it off, but don't be surprised if the Patriots start their attempted journey back to the Super Bowl 0-2.
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