The Pittsburgh Steelers' Week 1 win over the Atlanta Falcons wasn't always pretty, but they got the job done nonetheless.

Now, the Steelers head to Gillette Stadium and take on the reigning AFC champion New England Patriots in Week 2.

Pittsburgh is looking to begin with a 2-0 record for the second time in three years, and here's how it can accomplish that task on the road against the Pats.

Pass Defense Shuts Down Drake Maye and Company

The MVP runner-up in his first full season as the Patriots' starting quarterback, Maye's 2026 campaign got off to a rough start.

Granted, it was on the road against a ferocious Seattle Seahawks defense that also took down New England in Super Bowl LX by a score of 29-13. Still, Maye threw the game away with three interceptions, one of which came in the red zone with less than 30 seconds left as the Patriots lost 13-10.

With star wide receiver and offseason addition A.J. Brown on the reserve/injured list due to a high ankle sprain, New England's weapons are pretty thin heading into its bout with the Steelers.

Pittsburgh's defense as a whole looked strong against the pass in Week 1, holding the Falcons to just 118 yards on 22 throws, though it came against third-string quarterback Cooper Rush.

Maye will be a handful to deal with, but the Steelers have the necessary pieces to slow him down and perhaps force a turnover or two en route to a victory.

Rodgers Has a Huge Day

Though his numbers weren't anything special vs. Atlanta (24-for-40, 221 yards, one touchdown), Rodgers' statline from that contest doesn't tell the whole story.

The 42-year-old looked as sharp and comfortable as he ever has in a Steelers uniform up to this point despite the offensive line's shortcomings, which is a promising sign about where the season could be heading on the offensive side of the ball now that he's reunited with Mike McCarthy.

Rodgers did not have a single turnover-worthy play (per PFF) to go with 9.2 air yards per attempt (per Next Gen Stats) while also seeing multiple big plays negated by drops, namely from DK Metcalf.

With more of an emphasis on stretching the field and trying to generate explosive plays through the air, the opportunity is there for a vintage game from Rodgers against a Patriots defense that allowed +0.12 EPA per passing play to Drew Lock last week.

Steelers Also Stifle Patriots' Ground Attack

TreVeyon Henderson is set to be active after missing Week 1 with an ankle injury, which is a nice boost for New England.

Next to Rhamondre Stevenson, the Patriots have two good, dependable options out of the backfield next to Maye, who can make things happen with his legs as well.

That trio, alongside Antonio Gibson, gashed Pittsburgh for 119 yards and a touchdown during a Week 3 meeting between the two teams last season.

Given the way the Steelers' run defense showed up against Bijan Robinson last week, however, limiting him to 4.0 yards per carry and Atlanta as a whole to -0.10 EPA per rush, there's reason to believe Pittsburgh can shut down whatever New England has cooking up on the ground as well as part of a winning effort.

Make sure to bookmark Steelers On SI, and find our podcast All Steelers Talk on YouTube or anywhere you listen!