GAME THREAD: GAME THREAD: NFL: PITTSBURGH (9-3) at NEW ENGLAND (12-0)

NFL: PITTSBURGH (9-3) at NEW ENGLAND (12-0)

<h3>Patriots put streak on line vs. Steelers</h3>



Pittsburgh (9-3) at New England (12-0) 4:15 pm EST

FOXBORO, Massachusetts (Ticker) - The perfect record remainsintact but the New England Patriots have been anything butflawless in their past two games.


The Patriots look to continue their undefeated season when theyhost the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.


A victory over the Steelers will make New England the fifth teamin league history to begin a season 13-0. The IndianapolisColts last accomplished the feat in 2005.


The Patriots looked invincible in steamrolling their first eightopponents, but they have had to come from behind in the fourthquarter in three of their last four games.


Monday night's 27-24 victory over the Baltimore Ravens was theclosest call of the season. New England seemingly was stoppedtwice on the final drive of the game before Tom Brady threw atouchdown pass to Jabar Gaffney with 44 seconds to play.

"This is the third time in four weeks that we've come frombehind in the fourth quarter," Patriots coach Bill Belichicksaid. "It wasn't perfect. I was proud of the way they playedwhen it was on the line."


Brady became the fourth quarterback in league history to throw40 touchdown passes in a season but it came in his worstperformance of the season.


The two-time Super Bowl MVP finished 18-of-38 for 257 yards, twotouchdowns and an interception but still directed his 21stgame-winning drive in either the fourth quarter or overtime - aleague high since 2001.


Still, the ending didn't obscure the fact that the Ravensdominated much of the game, a fact not lost on the Patriots.

"This was the first time all year we got bullied," Patriotssafety Rodney Harrison said. "(It) showed we have a lot ofproblems and we're going to look at film and make correctionsbefore we play Pittsburgh."


New England, which has already wrapped up the AFC East title andhas won 15 straight regular-season games, lead the league inscoring with 469 points but the Steelers counter with a defensethat has yielded a league-low 155 points.


"The Patriots can beat anybody by 50," Steelers linebacker LarryFoote said. "But I still like our chances when we go in."

Pittsburgh's defense held the Cincinnati Bengals to 23 points intwo games this season, shutting down their vaunted passingattack that compares favorably to that of New England.

<div class="pre">Expect the Steelers to blitz often - a tactic employed</div>successfully by Baltimore and Philadelphia the past two weeks.

Pittsburgh is no slouch on offense, showing its best balance inyears behind quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and running backWillie Parker.


Roethlisberger has thrown 25 touchdown passes and 11interceptions, a dramatic improvement from the numbers of 18 and23 last season.


Parker has rushed for 1,093 yards and has six 100-yard effortsthis season, although he lost two fumbles in last week's 24-10win over the Bengals.


One thing working against the Steelers is a lack of success awayfrom home - they are just 2-3 on the road, including a 19-16loss to the New York Jets on November 18.

 

Re: NFL: PITTSBURGH (9-3) at NEW ENGLAND (12-0)

<font size="1">This will be a close game, I am a New England fan so i will be going for them always, but i dont think this will be a game where we blow this team out, I think it will be just like our last two games. I am ready for it to start so we'll see how it will end</font></p>

 

NFL: PITTSBURGH at NEW ENGLAND

<div class="pre">NFL
PITTSBURGH 0
NEW ENGLAND 0 14:55 LEFT, 1ST QTR

NWE BALL ON NWE 19 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: PITTSBURGH at NEW ENGLAND

<div class="pre">NFL
PITTSBURGH 0
NEW ENGLAND 0 13:59 LEFT, 1ST QTR

PIT BALL ON PIT 36 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: PITTSBURGH at NEW ENGLAND

<div class="pre">NFL FG PIT
JEFF REED 23 YD

PITTSBURGH 3
NEW ENGLAND 0 5:45 LEFT, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NFL: PITTSBURGH at NEW ENGLAND

<div class="pre">NFL
PITTSBURGH 3
NEW ENGLAND 0 5:39 LEFT, 1ST QTR

NWE BALL ON NWE 48 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: PITTSBURGH at NEW ENGLAND

<div class="pre">NFL TD NWE
RANDY MOSS 4 YD PASS FROM TOM BRADY
(STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI KICK)

PITTSBURGH 3
NEW ENGLAND 7 1:05 LEFT, 1ST QTR</div>

 

NFL: PITTSBURGH at NEW ENGLAND

<div class="pre">NFL
PITTSBURGH 3
NEW ENGLAND 7 1:00 LEFT, 1ST QTR

PIT BALL ON PIT 27 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: PITTSBURGH at NEW ENGLAND

<div class="pre">NFL END, 1ST QTR 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
PITTSBURGH 3 3
NEW ENGLAND 7 7 END, 1ST QTR

SCORING SUMMARY

1ST QUARTER: PIT - FG, JEFF REED 23 YD, 9:15. Drive: 15
plays, 59 yards in 8:14. Key plays:
Roethlisberger 7-yard pass to
Miller on 3rd-and-2 to New England
49; Roethlisberger 13-yard pass to
Holmes on 3rd-and 7 to New England
33; Roethlisberger 11-yard pass to
Miller to New England 22;
Roethlisberger 1-yard run on
3rd-and-1 to New England 12.
PITTSBURGH 3-0
NWE - TD, RANDY MOSS 4 YD PASS FROM TOM BRADY
(STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI KICK), 13:55.
Drive: 9 plays, 52 yards in 4:40.
Key plays: Jackson 39-yard kickoff
return to New England 48; Bradey
16-yard pass to Moss on 3rd-and-2
to Pittsburg 28; Maroney 10-yard
run to Pittsburg 18; Maroney 2-yard
run on 3rd-and-1 to Pittsburgh 7.
NEW ENGLAND 7-3</div>

 

NFL: PITTSBURGH at NEW ENGLAND

<div class="pre">NFL PITTSBURGH 3
NEW ENGLAND 7 14:55 LEFT, 2ND QTR</div>

 

NFL: PITTSBURGH at NEW ENGLAND

<div class="pre">NFL
PITTSBURGH 3
NEW ENGLAND 7 14:16 LEFT, 2ND QTR

NWE BALL ON NWE 37 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: PITTSBURGH at NEW ENGLAND

<div class="pre">NFL TD NWE
RANDY MOSS 63 YD PASS FROM TOM BRADY
(STEPHEN GOSTKOWSKI KICK)

PITTSBURGH 3
NEW ENGLAND 14 14:06 LEFT, 2ND QTR</div>

 

NFL: PITTSBURGH at NEW ENGLAND

<div class="pre">NFL
PITTSBURGH 3
NEW ENGLAND 14 13:57 LEFT, 2ND QTR

PIT BALL ON PIT 24 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: PITTSBURGH at NEW ENGLAND

<div class="pre">NFL TD PIT
NAJEH DAVENPORT 32 YD PASS FROM BEN ROETHLISBERGER
(JEFF REED KICK)

PITTSBURGH 10
NEW ENGLAND 14 11:31 LEFT, 2ND QTR</div>

 

NFL: PITTSBURGH at NEW ENGLAND

<div class="pre">NFL TD PIT
NAJEH DAVENPORT 32 YD PASS FROM BEN ROETHLISBERGER
(JEFF REED KICK)

PITTSBURGH 10
NEW ENGLAND 14 11:31 LEFT, 2ND QTR</div>

 

NFL: PITTSBURGH at NEW ENGLAND

<div class="pre">NFL
PITTSBURGH 10
NEW ENGLAND 14 11:25 LEFT, 2ND QTR

NWE BALL ON NWE 27 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: PITTSBURGH at NEW ENGLAND

<div class="pre">NFL
PITTSBURGH 10
NEW ENGLAND 14 9:53 LEFT, 2ND QTR

NWE BALL ON PIT 34 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

NFL: PITTSBURGH at NEW ENGLAND

<div class="pre">NFL

PITTSBURGH 10
NEW ENGLAND 14 8:21 LEFT, 2ND QTR</div>

 

NFL: PITTSBURGH at NEW ENGLAND

<div class="pre">NFL
PITTSBURGH 10
NEW ENGLAND 14 8:21 LEFT, 2ND QTR

PIT BALL ON PIT 38 YD LINE
1ST AND 10</div>

 

Re: NFL: PITTSBURGH (9-3) at NEW ENGLAND (12-0)

This has been a pretty fun game to watch so far. I really like what Pittsburgh is doing.</p>