The New England Patriots picked up their first victory of the season with a commanding 20-3 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Driven by a suffocating defensive effort, the Patriots stifled Pittsburgh’s offense all afternoon to secure the bounce-back win. 1. Patriots defense dominates Steelers: The story of the game was New England’s defense, which tormented Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers from start to finish. The unit recorded 4 sacks, forced…
Patriots 20, Steelers 3 – Defense carries Pats to first win
Image courtesy of Bob DeChiara/Imagn Images FOXBOROUGH – At the end of the season when playoff seeding is determined, they won’t ask how the Patriots won games, just how many. In its home opener on Sunday at Gillette Stadium, the Patriots saw injuries mount and the offense struggle again, but the defense smothered Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh offense enough to earn a 20-3 victory. The Steelers had just 235…
Choate Rosemary Hall 14, Phillips Exeter 7 – Boars defense leads the way
By Mukala Kabongo NEFJ Correspondent EXETER, NH – Choate Rosemary Hall’s defense leads the way in 14-7 season opening road victory over Phillips Exeter Saturday afternoon. “Gutsy, ugly game, they showed some heart there, finding a way to win it,” said Choate head coach Lawrence Spinnato. We’ve got some observations from the opener for both teams: Defense: Choate’s defensive unit played incredible throughout the day, creating pressure on Exeter quarterback…
New England CFB Recap – Week 3
Week 3 is in the books. We were able to cover eight of the 17 D1 New England teams in action on Saturday (check out the home page), but here’s what else you may have missed around the region during the first full slate of the year for NEFJ: No. 19 Yale 38, Holy Cross 28 Behind a ridiculous 454-yard, five-touchdown performance by Dante Reno, the Bulldogs opened their season…
Patriots Game Plan vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers
The Patriots host the Steelers in the home opener. Pittsburgh beat the Patriots the last time they were here last season 21-14 thanks to five Patriots turnovers. New England hopes to turn things around today but they will have to do it against a Mike McCarthy led team that wants to throw the ball down the field more on offense and bring more pressure and play man on defense. It…
Patriots Four Down Preview: Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0) at New England Patriots (0-1)
The New England Patriots host the Pittsburgh Steelers in a marquee early-season AFC matchup at Gillette Stadium. Both franchises share a rich tradition of hard-nosed, defensive-minded football, making every meeting between these two historical powerhouses a physical battle in the trenches. Coming off a week where execution down the stretch proved to be the deciding factor, New England has a prime opportunity to establish its identity on home turf against…
5 matchups to watch in the Steelers-Patriots game
When the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots clash, success comes down to trench execution and disciplined secondary coverage. Matches between these AFC rivals traditionally hinge on physical, low-scoring battles in the pit, complemented by quick-striking individual battles on the outside. Examining the individual pairings across the gridiron highlights five active, healthy head-to-head match-ups that will dictate the outcome. 1. Edge Rusher T.J. Watt vs. Will Campbell: This line match-up…
UConn 48, Southern Miss 20: Huskies bounce back with impressive road win
HATTIESBURG, MS- The Connecticut Huskies delivered a statement victory on the road on Saturday night, dominating the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles 48-20 at M.M. Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg. Coming off a frustrating 24-point defeat against Maryland, the Huskies (2-1) rebounded by generating 435 total yards of offense and securing their first road win under head coach Jason Candle.
Boston College 22, Maine 16 – Eagles survive scare from Black Bears
CHESTNUT HILL – BC and Maine fans had mostly the same thought entering the meeting between the two schools on Saturday at Alumni Stadium. The Eagles were 38-point favorites for a reason and that this one wouldn’t be all that close. Wrong. Miscues and a 2-5 red zone performance with two field goals by the Eagles ultimately allowed the Black Bears to hang around until the very final moments. BC…
UMass 36, Stonehill 14 – Minutemen start 3-0 for first time in 19 years
By Ryan Barry NEFJ Correspondent AMHERST – It doesn’t need to be perfect, you just need to win. For the UMass Minutemen, in front of 12,233 fans at McGuirk Alumni Stadium on Saturday afternoon, that’s exactly what they did with a 36-14 victory against the Stonehill Skyhawks. After a sluggish 13-point first half performance, the UMass offense exploded for 23 points in the second. Despite the win, UMass head coach…