Steelers vs. Patriots results: Reigning champs open season with dominating victory

Edward Sutelan

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Steelers vs. Patriots results: Reigning champs open season with dominating victory image

The reigning NFL champions picked up right where they left off.

In fact, it’s possible the Patriots looked even better. After scoring just 13 points in Super Bowl 53, New England eclipsed that total in the first half alone Sunday on the strength of two touchdown passes from Tom Brady and a pair of field goals from Stephen Gostkowski.

The defense did the rest. It blanked the Steelers until Chris Boswell kicked a 19-yard field goal in the third quarter. As is typical of the Patriots, Brady responded with a 58-yard touchdown pass, his third and final scoring strike in an eventual 33-3 New England victory.

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To really get a grasp of what happened Sunday night, the reader needs to look no further than the box score. The Patriots outgained the Steelers 465-309 as they dominated in all phases of the game.

Brady was nearly untouchable in the first game of his 19th NFL season. He finished the game 24 for 36 passing with 341 yards and three touchdowns. He was sacked just once.

Brady found success with Phillip Dorsett (four catches, 95 yards, two touchdowns), Julian Edelman (six catches, 83 yards) and Josh Gordon (three catches, 73 yards, one touchdown). That receiving corps will only get deeper with the addition of Antonio Brown, who will be available next week in Miami.

Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger completed 27 of 47 passes for 277 yards, with 45 of them coming on one pass to James Washington (two receptions, 51 yards). Roethlisberger also threw an interception. JuJu Smith-Schuster finished the game with six receptions for 78 yards.

Sporting News provided live scoring updates and highlights from the first "Sunday Night Football" game of the season.

Steelers vs. Patriots: Results, highlights from Week 1 matchup

Final: Patriots 33, Steelers 3

11:14 p.m.: Bailey punts to the Pittsburgh 45, where Switzer makes a fair catch.

11:11 p.m.: Roethlisberger is picked off in the end zone by safety Devin McCourty. 

11:09 p.m.: Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt is out for the game with a hip injury, according to the Steelers' director of communications.

11:07 p.m.: Cannon has a shoulder injury, per the Patriots' official account.

11:05 p.m.: The kickoff goes through the end zone and the Steelers will start their drive from the 25 trailing by 30.

11:03 p.m.: FIELD GOAL, PATRIOTS.  Gostkowski makes a 39-yarder, his fourth field goal of the night. Patriots 33, Steelers 3.

11 p.m.: Patriots right tackle Marcus Cannon heads to the tent with an apparent injury. No update yet on his status for the game.

10:46 p.m.: Roethlisberger can't complete the pass and the Patriots decline a holding penalty against the Steelers. Pittsburgh turns the ball over on downs at the New England 45. 

Third quarter: Patriots 30, Steelers 3

10:35 p.m.: The Steelers take the touchback and will start from their 25.

10:31 p.m.: FIELD GOAL, PATRIOTS. The Steelers finally get to Brady and sack him on the Pittsburgh 17-yard line. Gostkowski makes the 35-yard field goal.  Patriots 30, Steelers 3

10:28 p.m.: Brady finds Gordon deep down the field for a 43-yard pass to move up to the Pittsburgh 43. 

10:23 p.m.: Roethlisberger's pass is incomplete and the Steelers are forced to punt again. Ball is fair-caught at the 10. 

10:14 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN, PATRIOTS. Dorsett is wide-open down the middle and Brady finds for a 58-yard touchdown. Patriots 27, Steelers 3

10:11 p.m.: Boswell sends the kick through the end zone and the Patriots will start from their 25.

10:11 p.m.: The Patriots unveiled their latest Super Bowl banner.

10:08 p.m.: FIELD GOAL, STEELERS. Chris Boswell drills the 19-yard field goal and the shutout is broken up with 10:17 left in the third quarter. Patriots 20, Steelers 3

10:05 p.m.: Roethlisberger fumbles the ball, but the Steelers recover it.

10:04 p.m.: Holding by the Patriots, and the Steelers will now have a first-and-goal from the New England 6. 

10:01 p.m.: Roethlisberger finds James Washington for a big 45-yard gain, the biggest play of the game for Pittsburgh. The Steelers threatening to get on the board. 

9:58 p.m.:  The second half is underway with the Steelers starting from their 25. 

Second quarter: Patriots 20, Steelers 0

9:44 p.m.:  We've reached the halfway point in New England. Patriots lead 20-0. 

9:42 p.m.: FIELD GOAL, PATRIOTS.  Gostkowski makes the 41-yard field goal look easy and New England leads by 20 with 17 seconds left. Patriots 20, Steelers 0.

9:37 p.m.:  The Steelers can't convert on fourth down and Brady will get the football with 1:57 left at the New England 47.

9:33 p.m.: Time for the two-minute warning in Foxborough.

9:28 p.m.:  Gostkowski's kick flies into the end zone and Pittsburgh will take the touchback. Steelers starting at their own 25 with 3:49 left in the half.

9:27 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN, PATRIOTS.  Brady finds Phillip Dorsett in the end zone for a 25-yard completion to extend the Patriots' lead. Patriots 17, Steelers 0.  

9:21 p.m.:  Jamie Collins tackles James Conner for a loss of 4 and Pittsburgh is forced to punt. Fair catch is called at New England's 20. 

9:15 p.m.:  New England has its first three-and-out of the game. Jake Bailey punts to the Pittsburgh 30 where Switzer calls for a fair catch.

9:11 p.m.:  Another three-and-out for Pittsburgh. Steelers' drive is stopped inches short of a first down. Olszewski returns the punt 15 yards to the New England 35.

9:07 p.m.:  The Steelers will begin its drive from their 21 after a 17-yard return from Ryan Switzer.

9:04 p.m.: FIELD GOAL, PATRIOTS:  Stephen Gostkowski makes the 25-yard kick and the Patriots extend their lead. Patriots 10, Steelers 0.   

First quarter: Patriots 7, Steelers 0

8:56 p.m.:  Sony Michel rushes 2 yards for the first down and the first quarter comes to an end.

8:53 p.m.:  Pittsburgh lost 1 yard total and went three-and-out. Forced to punt. Patriots returner Gunner Olszewski returns it 20 yards to the New England 38.

8:47 p.m.:  The Steelers start their drive from their 25.

8:42 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN, PATRIOTS.  Just after the pass to White, Josh Gordon catches a slant pass and races 20 yards into the end zone for the first touchdown of the game. The Patriots lead with 4:46 left in the quarter. Patriots 7, Steelers 0.

8:42 p.m.:  The longest pass of the game belongs to a wide receiver. Edelman with the 32-yard screen pass to James White.

8:39 p.m.:  Offensive pass interference pushes the Patriots back 10 yards. Now first-and-20 from the 25.

8:35 p.m.:  The Steelers move 27 yards but are eventually forced to punt. The Patriots will start on their 18.

8:27 p.m.:  Brady's throw is just short of Edelman and the Patriots' first drive of the game stalls. The punt from Jake Bailey pins Pittsburgh on its 12.

8:24 p.m.:  And this game is underway. The Patriots will start from their own 20.

8:16 p.m.:  Patriots owner Robert Kraft walks out onto the field with the Lombardi Trophy.

8:07 p.m.:  Getting closer to the start of this one. Just 13 minutes until kickoff.

7:42 p.m.:  Tom Brady is in Gillette Stadium seven months after leading the Patriots to their sixth Super Bowl win

7:30 p.m.: Patriots linebacker Kyle Van Noy will not play Sunday. He is a late inactive with his wife going into labor

Edward Sutelan

Edward Sutelan Photo

Edward Sutelan joined The Sporting News in 2021 after covering high school sports for PennLive. Edward graduated from The Ohio State University in 2019, where he gained experience covering the baseball, football and basketball teams. Edward also spent time working for The Columbus Dispatch and Cape Cod Times.