The Pittsburgh Steelers during the years of Ben Roethlisberger were often considered one of the bigger threats in the AFC. The Steelers, Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore Ravens, and Denver Broncos were often all playing each season knowing they were going to have to get through the New England Patriots if they were going to reach their Super Bowl aspirations. Oftentimes, the Steelers fell to New England. However, they did take down the Patriots during the 2018 NFL season which sent New England into panic mode.
Keith Srakocic / Associated Press
Pittsburgh Steelers former cornerback Joe Haden knows the importance of an interception to turn the tide of a game.
Steelers Made The Patriots Question Themselves In 2018
Long-time Patriots wide receiver, Julian Edelman, recently went on Barstool Sports' podcast Pardon My Take. During his interview on the show, a lot of time was spent talking about the current NFL season, which has been a weird one. The interview was taped prior to the Week 16 games being played, and they spoke a lot about the importance of these games late in the season. While discussing the Kansas City Chiefs' recent collapse and why these losses hurt them so much, Edelman reflected on a loss to the Steelers back in 2018.
"I remember back in 2018 when we lost to the Steelers, we had two losses in a row close to December. We were hitting the panic button, like we gotta get this sh*t going right now because you have to get on those runs. That's where your confidence builds. You get excited for work. There's a light at the end of the tunnel, the season is right there."
The Steelers won their 2018 matchup with New England by a score of 17-10. The loss brought New England to a 9-5 record, and the Steelers picked up their eighth win of the season as they rose to 8-5-1. In the win, Jaylen Samuels had the best game of his career as he rushed for 142 yards and had 30 yards receiving. Joe Haden also had his iconic interception off of Tom Brady, which helped clinch the victory for the Steelers.
Jared Wickerham / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers receiver Diontae Johnson tried to make a move against New England Patriots cornerback J.C. Jackson during a Week 14 matchup in 2023.
A lot of teams in the current state of the NFL are trying to make a playoff push, which includes winning these important games down the stretch. Especially for a team like the Steelers, their last two games are absolutely labeled as must-win games as they currently sit in ninth place in the AFC. Edelman was asked whether or not he has ever had to react to losing a must-win game, and he brought up the loss to the Steelers once again.
"Yeah, that Steelers game. We felt like that was a must-win game because we dropped one, and then we lost that one. And then we went on our roll, but, the sense of urgency in the building after those kinds of losses, with the teams I was on. The urgency went up."
The Steelers lit a fire under the Patriots after beating them in Week 15 of 2018, and the Patriots wouldn't lose another game that year. They finished the regular season 2-0, winning two straight games within their division. They locked up a first-round bye in the playoffs that year with a 12-5 record and could not be stopped.
Peter Diana / Post-Gazette
Steelers WR Eli Rogers picks up a first down against the Patriots in 2018.
The Steelers would end up being the Patriots' last loss of the 2018 season, including the playoffs. The Patriots were able to rest up during the Wild Card round, and they then took down the Los Angeles Chargers in the Divisional Round. In the AFC Championship Game, they beat a second-year Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs 37-31 in overtime to advance to the Super Bowl. They wound up winning Super Bowl LIII against the Los Angeles Rams.
The loss to the Steelers really motivated that Patriots team to get back on the right track, and it set them up to go on what would be an unstoppable run. It would've been nice to see a rematch of that game in the postseason, but the Steelers failed to make the playoffs that year with a 9-6-1 record.
What do you think about the Steelers being the catalyst for the Patriots' Super Bowl victory? Let us know in the comments below!
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