The Result
In a game that started with a guarantee ended in yet another large win as the New England Patriots took a close first half game and turned it into a second half laugher in beating the Pittsburgh Steelers 34-13 in front of a sold out Gillette Stadium. It was the teams 13th win of the year with no losses and their 16th consecutive regular season win dating back 
to last season.
The teams traded some scores early the Steelers got on the board first with a Jeff Reed field goal but the Patriots showed how explosive they can be with two Tom Brady to Randy Moss TD’s in a span of two minutes. The first was rather mundane as far as TD’s go a 5 yard toss to Moss in the back of the end zone to put the Pats up 7-3. Just moments later on the first play after a Steelers 3 and out Brady went 63 yards to a wide open Moss who walked into the end zone after a really nice play fake by Brady and Maroney.
What looked like it may be a back and forth game all day wasn’t that close in the end because the New England defense stepped up yet again when it needed to the most. The defense held Pittsburgh to consecutive three and outs to start the second half while NFL MVP Candidate Brady picked a part Anthony Smith and the Steelers secondary. Two of Brady’s four TD tosses went to Moss and two of the TD throws, one to Moss and one to Jabar Gaffney, were bombs of 63 and 56 yards and directed right at Smith, who boldly guaranteed a win for the black and gold earlier in the week.
Smith was looking like a prophet at the half but after a Pittsburgh 3 and out the Patriots decided they weren’t screwing around any longer and Brady lateraled to Moss who lateraled back to Brady who threw 56 yards to Gaffney for a giant screw you. The defense then came back and forced another 3 and out and the Patriots drove the field and stuck the nail in the Steelers coffin when Brady hit Wes Welker for a 2 yard TD pass and an 18 point lead.
Later in the game the Pats would stop Hines Ward on an end around at the goal line on 4th down and that was essentially the game.
Scoring Plays
| Pittsburgh | 3 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| New England | 7 | 10 | 14 | 3 | 34 |
 1st Quarter
- PIT – Reed 23 yard FG – Steelers 3-0
NE – Brady 5 yard pass to Moss – kick good – Patriots 7-3
2nd Quarter
- NE – Brady 63 yard pass to Moss – kick good – Patriots 14-3
- PIT – Roethlisberger 32 yard pass to Davenport – kick good – Patriots 14-10
- PIT – Reed 44 yard FG – Patriots 14-13
- NE – Gostkowski 42 yard FG – Patriots 17-13
3rd Quarter
- NE – Brady 56 yard pass to Gaffney – kick good – 24-13 Patriots
- NE – Brady 2 yard pass to Welker – kick good – 31-13 Patriots
4th Quarter
- NE – Gostkowski 28 yard FG – Patriots 34-13
Offensive Player of the Game
Patriots QB Tom Brady completed 32 of 46 passes for 399 yards and 4 TD’s.
Defensive Player of the Game
Patriots DL Vince Wilfork had 6 tackles and a sack
Turning Point(s) of the Game
The trick play to Gaffney for a TD then the defense gets Steelers to go 3 and out. Patriots get the ball back drive down the field and score with a Welker TD catch.
Defense stuffs Hines Ward on the goal line on 4th down to preserve a 3 TD lead with 10 minutes to play.
Offensive Leaders/Notes
In addition to Brady, Randy Moss had 7 catches for 135 yards and 2 TD’s, Jabar Gaffney had 7 catches for 122 yards and 1 TD and Wes Welker had 9 receptions for 78 yards and a TD.
Patriots go three and out on their first series, it’s only the second time all year they didn’t score on the series.
On 3rd and 2 Brady goes 16 yards to a leaping Randy Moss, next play the Laurence Maroney fights for 11 yards moving the pile for a 1st down at PIT 18. Brady threw 9 yards to Jabar Gaffney for a 3rd and inches at PIT 8. Maroney gets the first down with a 2-yard gain for 1st and goal.
Brady throws to Moss for a 5-yard TD for the 18th time this year. It is Brady’s 42nd TD pass of the season.
Brady throws 63-yards to Moss on first play of drive for a TD after Brady and Maroney pull a very effective run fake.
On 3rd and 10, Brady throws 7 yards to Ben Watson and Patriots are forced to punt. A short punt got botched by Steelers and Patriots recover at PIT 34.
Patriots offensive line not giving Brady enough time to throw on last two drives. On 3rd and 10 pass goes short to Watson leading to a FGA. Gostkowski missed from 48-yards.
Brady goes 14 yards to Watson on 1st down to NE 37. On 2nd and 10 Brady throws 13-yard pass to Moss. On 1st down Brady throws 32 yards to Gaffney to PIT 18. After a penalty and 3 plays with only a short gain Gostkowski has 42 yard FGA.
On 1st down at NE 10 Brady hits Moss for 22 yards. Matt Light gets a false start on next play and it’s 1st and 15 at NE 28. Brady throws to Stallworth for 9 yards. On 2nd and 6 Brady throws to Kyle Brady for 7 yards and a 1st down. Brady laterals to Moss who laterals back to Brady who throws 56 yards to Gaffney for a TD.
Patriots get back to back first downs on passes to Moss and Gaffney to PIT 24. Brady on 2nd and 10 eludes a sack and gets a four yard gain. Brady throws 5 yards to Welker and it’s 4th and 1 at PIT 14. Converts 4th down pass to Welker for a 1st down and goal at PIT 10. A defensive hold gives Pats 1st and goal at PIT 5. Quick out Brady to Gaffney for 3 yards. On 3rd and goal 2 yard TD pass to Welker. After the TD Logan Mankins and James Harrison got into it.
On 1st and ten from NE 1 Brady throws to Welker for 22 yards. He throws to Welker 4 more times for 43 more yards then goes to Faulk for a 1st down at PIT 31. 21 yard pass to Moss for 1st goal at the PIT 10. On 3rd and goal over throws Moss in the end zone. Patriots go for FGA of 28 yards.
Defensive Leaders/Notes
In addition to Wilfork, Rodney Harrison had 9 tackles, 2 assists and 1 pass defensed, Tedy Bruschi had 6 tackles and 2 assists and Junior Seau had 6 tackles and 1 pass defensed.
Patriots allow the Steelers to convert on their first 3rd down attempt for 8 yards on 3rd and 2. Next play Vince Wilfork drops Willie Parker for a 3-yard loss
3rd and 7 pass completed for 13 yards to Santonio Holmes to NE 34. Next play Tedy Bruschi holds Parker to no gain. 11 yards to Keith Miller down the middle for first down on 2nd and 10 to NE 22. Ben Roethlisberger sneaks for first down on 3rd and 1 to NE 12
Defensive holding call on Bruschi gives Pittsburgh first and goal at NE 7. Parker stopped by Seau for 1 yard. Miller 1 yard catch to NE 5. Pass incomplete, PIT held to a FGA of 23 yards.
Jarvis Green and Mike Wright sack Roethlisberger on 1st play of second drive for a loss of 9 yards. Patriots hold Steelers to a 3 and out.
Parker runs 30 yards on 2nd and 6 to NE 43. PIT Converts on 2nd down pass to Hines Ward to first down at NE 32. Next play Roethlisberger throws 32 yards to Najeh Davenport for a TD.
On 3rd and 3 looks like NE stopped Parker short. Davenport converts on 4th and short. False start on 1st down puts PIT in 1st and 15 at PIT 44. Twice Vrabel nearly gets a sack as Roethlisberger is rushed. One turns into a hold and 2nd and 25 at PIT 34. Cedric Wilson gets 15 on a swing pass. 3rd and 10 Roethlisberger runs for 9 yards. On 4th and 1 at NE 41 converts 9-yard pass to Wilson.
3rd and 2 from NE 27 pass is incomplete and nearly an INT by Asante Samuel. PIT goes for 44 yard FGA.
James Sanders stops Parker after an 18-yard gain on the first play of the 3rd qtr. Then Wilfork sacked Roethlisberger for an 8-yard loss at PIT 40. On 3rd and 11 from PIT 47 pass is incomplete to Santonio Holmes and Steelers have to punt.
After the Gaffney TD Patriots hold PIT to a 3 and out and now haven’t converted on their last seven 3rd down conversions.
A pass and a run by Parker give Steelers a 1st down at NE 41. Roethlisberger completes a 21 yard pass to Nate Washington. Parker 7 yard run to the NE 13. On 2nd down he’s stopped short of the first down. Davenport runs for 3 yards on 3rd and 1. Rodney Harrison breaks up a pass on 3rd and goal from the NE 1 in the end zone. Defense stuffs Hines Ward on a rush attempt at the NE 1 on 4th down.
Adalius Thomas nearly intercepts a pass at the PIT 22. Steelers moving the ball behind a 13 yard pass to Ward and a couple of Parker runs and have a 1st down at the NE 37.
After shutting down the receivers Roethlisberger is forced from the pocket and runs 11 yards for 1st down to NE 19.
Thomas sacks Roethlisberger for 2 yard loss after he got flushed by Vrabel. Steelers go for it on 4th and 12 from the NE 21 and Hobbs breaks up the pass near the NE 5.
Special Teams Leaders/Notes
Chad Jackson returned the opening KO for NE, not Ellis Hobbs.
On second KOR Jackson returns for 39 yards to NE 48.
Jackson also handles first punt return for NE, not Wes Welker.
Short punt gets botched by PIT hitting a Steelers player, Patriots recover at PIT 34.
Stephen Gostkowski missed 48-yard FGA after the turnover.
Jackson kicks ball on KOR after 2nd Reed FG and recovered his muff.
Welker returns the first punt in 3rd quarter and gets stopped after two yards at the NE 10.
Jackson was back to returning punts in 3rd quarter.
Coaching Decisions
- PIT – 4th and half yard in 2nd quarter Davenport makes it on a leap.
- PIT – 4th and 1 in 2nd quarter Roethlisberger throws 9 yards to Wilson.
- NE – 4th and 1 in 3rd quarter Brady throws 4 yards to Welker.
- PIT – 4th and goal at the 1 in 4th quarter Ward gets stuffed on a rush attempt.
- PIT – 4th and 12 in 4th quarter Hobbs breaks up the pass to Washington.
Injuries
- NE – TE Ben Watson knee injury, unknown return – 3rd Qtr.
- PIT – CB Deshea Townsend hit in the head, unknown return – 3rd qtr
The Officials
Terry McCauley was today’s referee.
Missed late hit by Anthony Smith on Donte Stallworth in the end zone – 3rd qtr.
Game Notes
Patriots OG Stephen Neal missed the game with a shoulder injury. Steelers safety Troy Polamalu missed the game with a knee injury.
Head coach Bill Belichick got his 100th win as Patriots coach, he is 100-39 with the Patriots in the regular season. He is also 13-2 with the team in the playoffs. Raymond Berry is second to Belichick in all-time franchise coaching wins with a 48-39 regular season record and a 3-2 playoff record from 1984-89.
Since Belichick became coach in 2000 the Patriots are 25-6 in December. They have won 11 of the last 12 games they have played in December.
With the win the Patriots have clinched a first round playoff bye.
The Steelers became the first opponent to score on their first drive of the game all season.
The Patriots failed to score on their first offensive possession for just the 2nd time in 13 games. Both times they went 3 and out (vs. Indianapolis and vs. Pittsburgh).
The Steelers became only the second opponent to score first in the game vs. New England all year. Indianapolis was the other.
Randy Moss’ 5 yard TD catch in the first quarter set a team record for TD’s in a season with 18. He later added another on a 63-yard bomb.
Tom Brady is 25-2 in games played in weather 40 degrees or less.
Brady now has 45 TD passes this season while throwing for 4,095 yards.
Patriots are 35/36 this season in red zone scoring opportunities.
Patriots have converted 13/18 fourth down attempts this season.
This is the final weekend for you to vote in the NFL Pro Bowl balloting which ends on Tuesday at noon. Fans may vote online at nfl.com/probowl or by sending the text message “PRO” to 7777 from a phone with Sprint wireless service.
CBS Scene will open at Patriot Place next fall. It will include a restaurant, bar, broadcast facilities and memorabilia.
The Patriots are the 5th team to go 13-0 joining the 1934 Chicago Bears, 1972 Miami Dolphins, 1998 Denver Broncos and 2005 Indianapolis Colts.
Post Game Press Conferences
Hear what Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady had to say about today’s game.
Post Game press conferences via patriots.com
Things To Work On For Next Week
Run defense, containing rushers and receivers better and not allowing large gains.
Next Week’s Opponent
The Patriots host the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro MA. The ass kicking starts at 1 p.m.
