The New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers kick off the regular season on Thursday night as both teams look to establish themselves as AFC powerhouses. The Patriots are coming off a Super Bowl-winning season and have their quarterback for all 16 games in Tom Brady. On the other hand, Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers will be without Martavis Bryant and Le'Veon Bell. The rest of the offense will need to step up and carry the load against a solid Patriots defense.
Here are three keys to the game for both the Steelers and the Patriots.
Steelers:
1. Win the first quarter
The Steelers need to avoid another one of the slow starts that plagued them in the preseason. Gillette Stadium is going to be rocking for opening night as the Patriots raise their championship banner. Having Tom Brady back will have the fans even more juiced. If Roethlisberger and company can silence the crowd, they'll be in good shape. If New England jumps out to an early two-score lead, it's game over.
2. Blanket Rob Gronkowski
Speedy middle linebacker Ryan Shazier should be tasked with following Gronkowski all over the field with some added safety help over the top. With either Shamarko Thomas or Mike Mitchell guarding the seam, Shazier's sub-4.4 speed should protect against big plays to Gronk.
3. Attack the secondary
Not having Le'Veon Bell and Martavis Bryant is a major loss for the offense, but the New England secondary is still vulnerable after losing their top three corners from their last season. Antonio Brown will be looking to make mince meat out of Super Bowl hero Malcolm Butler any chance he gets, and third-year wideout Markus Wheaton will be targeted plenty as Big Ben's personal breakout candidate.
Patriots:
1. Get Rob Gronkowski involved early and often
Gronkowski was a healthy scratch this preseason as he sat out all four games. He's the most talented tight end in the NFL and likely won't need an adjustment period, but the Patriots would be smart to get him involved early and often -- especially with Brandon LaFell on the PUP list.
2. Send extra coverage towards Antonio Brown
The Steelers will be without Maurkice Pouncey, Bell, and Bryant in Week 1, which leaves Brown as the biggest playmaker on offense. Given that, the Patriots should send extra coverages towards Brown knowing he's the most likely player to beat the defense without Bell and Bryant on the field. Holding Brown in check should be objective No. 1 for the Patriots' defense.
3. Move Devin McCourty around in the secondary
The Patriots are thin at cornerback but have six safeties on the roster, headlined by Devin McCourty. With McCourty's versatility in the secondary, the Patriots have the ability to play with three safeties on the field. McCourty has experience at cornerback, which will allow guys like Jordan Richards, Duron Harmon, and Patrick Chung to make an impact, too.
