Admit it. For the last couple years, you’ve watched this team with one hand over your eyes. You wanted to believe in the rebuild, you wanted to believe in Drake Maye, you wanted to believe Eddie Todd wasn’t just another placeholder. But deep down, it felt like the magic was gone.
Sunday night in Pittsburgh? That was the night it came back.
545 yards of offense. A quarterback throwing for nearly 400 and still handing the ball off to a rookie who ripped off 143 and two scores. A veteran receiver reminding the league he’s still elite. A defense that looked every Steelers back in the eye and said: Not tonight.
This wasn’t luck. This wasn’t a squeaker. This was a team planting its flag.
Drake Maye Arrives
We’ve all seen young Patriots QBs melt after mistakes. Drake Maye didn’t. Two picks on the road in primetime would’ve crushed lesser players. He responded by throwing three touchdowns, completing nearly 70 percent of his passes, and finishing with a 92.2 QBR. That’s not just talent — that’s mental toughness.
Patriots fans, you’ve got your guy.
TreVeyon Henderson Is a Star in the Making
We’ve been spoiled in New England with workhorse backs, but Henderson feels different. Sixteen carries, 143 yards, two touchdowns — and the swagger of someone who knows he belongs. He isn’t waiting his turn. He’s taking it.
And how about that line? They mauled Pittsburgh up front. Henderson didn’t just find holes; he exploded through them. This is what a run game is supposed to look like.
Diggs Delivers
You worried Diggs might sulk, might check out after leaving Buffalo? Forget that. He was everywhere — 12 catches, 158 yards, two touchdowns. He’s the steady veteran who takes pressure off Maye, and he’s proving he can still dominate.
Boutte, Douglas, Westover — all fun, all important. But Diggs is the heartbeat of that receiver room, and Sunday he pumped life into the whole offense.
Defense With Swagger
Steelers fans love to talk about tough football. Well, tell that to the 63 rushing yards their team managed. Five sacks, relentless pressure, and a run defense that sent a message: you can try, but you won’t move us.
Coach Todd said afterward, “We’re starting to find our footing.” He’s right. And the foundation is stopping the run.
The Road Ahead
Now comes Carolina. On paper, an 0–3 team should be the perfect springboard to 3–1. They are not as bad as their record.If the Patriots are serious about contending, this is the week to prove consistency. Beat a team you’re supposed to beat.For the first time in a long time, New England fans have reason to believe. Not in a rebuild, not in “hope for the future,” but in a team that just might be ahead of schedule.
But here’s the thing: for the first time in a long time, the Patriots don’t look like a team that plays down to competition. They look like a team that’s figuring out who they are — and scaring the rest of the AFC while they do it.
Fans, you’ve been patient. You’ve sat through the pain. You’ve waited for signs that this wasn’t just another long rebuild. Sunday night was your reward.
This is what Eddie Todd was hired for. This is the team you were promised.
