After a disappointing season opener, the New England Patriots Week 2 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers will open their offense for examination yet again. Their performance in Week 1 left many questioning the ability of Drake Maye and the playcalling of Josh McDaniels. To make matters worse, an injury to A.J. Brown leaves a large hole in their wide receiver corps.
Though the Patriots’ offense started the season on a low note, they have the opportunity to respond with a loud performance. With another talented defense awaiting, here’s how New England’s offense can rebound in Week 2.
Throughout his three-interception performance against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1, Maye struggled to remain patient against zone coverage. While he started the game by taking what the defense gave him, he abandoned this strategy in the fourth quarter. All three of Maye’s interceptions came when he recklessly threw the ball past 20 yards against zone coverage.
The Seahawks relied heavily on Cover 6 for most of the game. According to Fantasy Points Data, Seattle’s defense played Cover 6 for 40.5% of their snaps. They did this to limit Maye’s ability to throw the ball deep down the field.
In Week 2, Maye will have to face yet another zone-heavy defense. The Steelers’ defense ran zone coverage more than anybody else in Week 1, as they didn’t play any man coverage at all. The Pittsburgh defense played Cover 3 and Cover 4 for over 90% of their snaps against the Atlanta Falcons.
With the threat of zone coverage on the horizon, Maye needs to improve his patience and focus on getting the ball out quickly. In the first half of Week 1, he completed 10 of 12 attempts for 66 yards and a touchdown. The quick passing game helped Maye get the ball to playmakers immediately while limiting the Seahawks’ pass rush time to affect him.
The Steelers also present a challenging pass rush. Last week, they only allowed Falcons QB Cooper Rush 2.65 seconds to throw, with a pressure rate of 19.2%. Pittsburgh also forced the lowest passing EPA (Expected Points Added) at -0.61 and the second-lowest completion percentage at 46.2%.
During the Patriots Week 2 matchup, Maye must get back to his usual production against zone coverage. He was one of the best QBs against zone coverage, finishing in the top four in completion percentage and passer rating versus zone last season. If he can remain patient and limit risks, he could recover from his lackluster Week 1 play and bounce back to his 2025 level of production.
The Patriots’ offense, directed by offensive coordinator McDaniels, has become one of the most predictable in the league. In Week 1, New England ran the ball 16 times on first down, which was easy to anticipate. Those first-down runs also hurt the offense, as the rushing attempts led to the team facing 10 second-and-longs.
In contrast to running on first down, the Patriots were successful passing the ball on early downs. Maye went seven of nine on passing attempts with 57 yards and a score on first downs. Given that level of production, New England has to pass more often on first down to create uncertainty for the defense.
Beyond just passing on early downs, the Patriots don’t pass enough entirely. Last week, they had the ninth-lowest Pass Rate Over Expected at -6.3%. By passing less than expected, New England’s offensive tendencies are becoming foreseen by opposing defenses. That predictability could have been a factor to their 41.8% success rate against Seattle Week 1.
The Patriots can also make their offense less predictable by utilizing more diverse offensive strategies. Last week, they only employed pre-snap motion on 50.7% of offensive snaps, which is below the league average of 66.3%. New England should use motion more often to lead the defense into revealing its coverage and create mismatches that they could take advantage of.
Though the Patriots weren’t too successful running the ball during Week 1, they shouldn’t abandon the running game against the Steelers. In Pittsburgh’s matchup against the Falcons, they struggled to defend Bijan Robinson on outside runs. They allowed 8.8 YPC (Yards Per Carry) on outside runs to the right and 3.8 YPC to the left.
New England may not have a running back like Robinson, but they could have some success. TreVeyon Henderson is returning after suffering an ankle injury and his explosiveness could make a difference. If Henderson is able to threaten the edge, the Patriots could use the Steelers’ weakness to establish a running game.
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In their Week 2 matchup, the Patriots have a big opportunity to display their offensive improvement. They need, however, to make these adjustments before stepping onto the field. Maye needs to remain patient when facing zone coverage, and McDaniels has to add variety to New England’s offense.
If Maye can take what the defense gives him and the offense is less predictable, the Patriots Week 2 performance could put an end to the questions about their offense.
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