TEAM NOTES
• Patriots win 600th game.
• Patriots score 600th touchdown at Gillette Stadium.
• Mike Vrabel earns first win against Pittsburgh.
• Patriots snap five-game losing streak in home openers.
• TE Hunter Henry becomes fourth Patriots right end with 3,000 receiving yards.
PATRIOTS REACH 600 WINS
The Patriots 20-3 win over Pittsburgh is their 600th win, first among all original AFL teams and 12th overall in NFL history.
600TH TOUCHDOWN IN PATRIOTS HISTORY
RB TreVeyon Henderson's 39-yard touchdown run in the first quarter is the 600th overall touchdown by the Patriots in the regular season at Gillette Stadium.
PATRIOTS SNAP FIVE-GAME LOSING STREAK IN HOME OPENERS
The Patriots snapped a five-game losing streak in home openers with the 20-3 win over Pittsburgh. It was their first win since a 21-11 win vs. Miami on Sept. 13, 2020 in the home opener.
PATRIOTS BREAK AARON RODGERS STREAK WITHOUT AN INTERCEPTION
Rookie LB Gabe Jacas intercepted an Aaron Rodgers pass in the fourth quarter to end his streak of 311 pass attempts without an interception. Rodgers' streak included the final seven games of the 2025 season and the first game of the 2026 season. It was his first interception since Nov. 9, 2025 at the L.A. Chargers in the fourth quarter.
PATRIOTS DEFENSE HOLDS PITTSBURGH TO JUST 3 POINTS
The Patriots defense held Pittsburgh to just 3 points, the fewest points allowed since a 19-3 win at Chicago on Nov. 10, 2024. By allowing only 16 points in their first two games, that is the best defensive start to a season since 2019 when the defense surrendered just 3 points in its first two games.
TWO PATRIOTS FINISH WITH 10 TACKLES
LB Christian Elliss (13) and CB Charles Woods (10) both finished with 10 tackles. The last time the team had two players finish with at least 10 tackles was on Dec. 14, 2025 vs. Buffalo when S Jaylinn Hawkins (11) and CB Marcus Jones (10) each finished with 10 tackles.
NEW ENGLAND GOES OVER .500 AGAINST PITTSBURGH AT HOME
The Patriots are now over .500 against Pittsburgh at home, improving to a 6-5 home record in the regular season. The Patriots are now 16-16 all-time in the regular season against Pittsburgh.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
VRABEL EARNS FIRST WIN AGAINST PITSBURGH
Mike Vrabel earned his first win against Pittsburgh as a head coach. Vrabel was 0-3 against Pittsburgh while head coach of Tennessee and then lost last season against Pittsburgh while head coach of New England.
HUNTER HENRY BECOMES FOURTH PATRIOTS TIGHT END TO REACH 3,000 RECEIVING YARDS
TE Hunter Henry became the fourth New England tight end to reach 3,000 receiving yards. He entered the Pittsburgh game with 2,999 receiving yards and reached the milestone on a 29-yard pass from QB Drake Maye in the first quarter. He joins Rob Gronkowski (7,861), Ben Coates (5,471) and Russ Francis (3,157) as the only Patriots tight ends to reach 3,000 receiving yards.
HENDERSON SCORES ON A 39-YARD TOUCHDOWN RUN
RB TreVeyon Henderson scored on a 39-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. It is his fifth career touchdown run of at least 30 yards. He finished the game with 76 yards on 16 carries for a 4.8-yard average.
ELLISS RECORDS FIRST SACK SINCE THE 2024 SEASON WHEN HE ALSO SACKED AARON RODGERS
LB Christian Elliss forced a fumble on an 8-yard sack of QB Aaron Rodgers in the second quarter that resulted in a loss of 36 yards and moved Pittsburgh from the New England 22-yard line to its own 44-yard line. It was Elliss' second career full sack and second career sack of Aaron Rodgers. Elliss' first full sack was an 8-yard sack of Rodgers in the fourth quarter vs. the New York Jets on Oct. 27, 2024 at Gillette Stadium.
ELLISS HAS SECOND CAREER 10-TACKLE GAME
Elliss led the team with 12 total tackles, one tackle shy of his career-high 13 tackles that he had vs. Buffalo on Jan. 5, 2025, in the final game of the 2024 season.
WOODS HAS CAREER-HIGH WITH HIS FIRST 10-TACKLE GAME
CB Charles Woods saw increased playing time in place of Carlton Davis III, who was out with an injury, and finished the game with a career-high 10 total tackles.
DOUBS RECORDS LONGEST PASS RECEPTION OF HIS CAREER
WR Romeo Doubs caught a 63-yard pass from QB Drake Maye in the third quarter, the longest reception of his career. His previous long was a 48-yard reception from QB Jordan Love vs. Detroit on Sept. 7, 2025 when he played for Green Bay.
DOUBS SETS CAREER HIGH IN RECEIVING YARDS
Doubs finished with 3 receptions for a career-high 96 yards. His previous high 95 yards vs. Detroit on Sept. 28, 2023. Overall, it was his fourth career game with at least 90 yards receiving.
MAYE CONNECTS ON HIS SECOND CAREER 60-YARD PASS
QB Drake Maye connected with WR Romeo Doubs in the third quarter for his second 60-yard pass and his second-longest pass of his career. Maye had a 72-yard touchdown pass to WR Kyle Williams at Tampa Bay on Nov. 9, 2025 in the first quarter.
PONDER SCORES FIRST NFL TOUCHDOWN
DT Christian Barmore forced a fumble on an 11-yard sack in the fourth quarter that was returned by LB Elijah Ponder 19 yards for a touchdown. It was the Patriots first fumble-returned touchdown since LB K'Lavon Chaisson returned a fumble 4 yards for a touchdown at Tennessee on Oct. 9, 2025. It is the Patriots first defensive touchdown since CB Marcus Jones returned an interception 33 yards for a touchdown at Cincinnati on Nov. 23, 2025.
FARMER REGISTERS FIRST CAREER SACK
DT Joshua Farmer recorded his first career sack when he dropped QB Aaron Rodgers for an 11-yard loss in the fourth quarter.
GILLIAM HAS FIRST RECEPTION WITH THE PATRIOTS
FB Reggie Gilliam caught a 4-yard pass from QB Drake Maye in the third quarter for his first reception as a member of the Patriots.
WILLIAMS FIRST RECEPTION OF THE SEASON GOES FOR A FIRST DOWN
WR Kyle Williams' first reception of the season was a 10-yard catch for a first down on a third-and-six situation in the third quarter.
JACAS RECORDS HIS FIRST CAREER INTERCEPTION
Patriots 2026 second-round draft pick LB Gabe Jacas stopped a Pittsburgh drive in the fourth quarter when he intercepted a pass by QB Aaron Rodgers at the New England 17-yard line. His first career NFL interception came a week after he recorded his first NFL sack last week when he dropped Drew Lock for a 7-yard loss in the second quarter at Seattle (9/9/26).
NAMDI OBIAZOR ADDS A PAIR OF SPECIAL TEAMS TACKLES
2026 sixth-round draft pick LB Namdi Obiazor became the first Patriots player since at least 2000 to record 3 special teams tackles in his very first NFL game at Seattle. He finished with 2 special teams tackles against Pittsburgh for a team-leading total of 5.
LINEUP NOTES
• OL Ben Brown, WR Efton Chism III and RB TreVeyon Henderson were active and made their 2026 debuts. Chism was inactive in the season-opener vs. Seattle, and Brown and Henderson were inactive due to an injury against the Seahawks.
• 2026 third-round draft pick TE Eli Raridon made his first career start in a two-tight end alignment.
• Newly acquired DT DaQuan Jones made his debut in a New England uniform as a reserve on the defensive line.
• Rookie LB Erick Hunter and 2026 fifth-round draft pick CB Karon Prunty played in their first NFL games after being inactive for the season-opener at Seattle. Both saw their first action on the punt return team.
• OL Greg Van Roten entered the game at right guard in place of Mike Onwenu, who left the game with an injury in the first quarter.
• Rookie CB Channing Canada saw his first action on defense late in the second quarter. • S Jaylen Reed saw his first snaps on defense.
• 2026 seventh-round draft pick LB Quintayvious Hutchins saw his first snaps on defense.
