7 Keys from Patriots win over Steelers

Here's an instant breakdown of the Patriots win over the Steelers in Pittsburgh.

The Patriots defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 21–18 by taking an early lead that they were able to maintain into the second half. They started the game with a bang and were quickly leading the score.

With the victory, Bailey Zappe wins his first game as a starting quarterback this season and ends New England's five-game losing run. Zappe was excellent early on, completing three passes for touchdowns to ignite the passing attack. However, the second half saw more of a struggle to move the ball, although an interception and a blocked punt kept things interesting until the very end of the game.

The Patriots defense put on yet another outstanding display, frustrating the Steelers attack for the majority of

1. First Drive Score

The Patriots came out firing in this game, with Bailey Zappe connecting with Juju Smith-Schuster for a 37-yard gain that helped spark one of the team's best opening drives in recent memory. Zappe contributed an 11-yard scramble on the only third down that the Pats faced on their first drive, with Ezekiel Elliott finishing things off on an 11-yard reception as he leaked out of the backfield and got the corner for the score. 

2. Peppers Picks, Henry Scores

After trading three total punts through the end of the first quarter, the Patriots got back their interception with Jabrill Peppers coming up with the pick off Trubisky and returning it deep into Pittsburgh territory. Peppers again showed why he's been one of the team's bright spots this season as he continues to make big plays for the defense while bringing great intense energy. It was Peppers' second interception of the season, with his first coming against Buffalo in the team's last win back in Week 7. The safety did a good job disguising his coverage on the play, as he bailed into the deep part of the field while Myles Bryant applied pressure on a blitz that helped force Trubisky into the mistake.