New England Patriots: Ranking the top five matchups of the season

3) PATRIOTS @ STEELERS

The Patriots have been the proverbial thorn in the side of the Pittsburgh Steelers for most of Brady’s career.

The 10-2 record that Brady holds against the Steelers indicates a long-standing rivalry that has been summarily one-sided so far.

The Steelers have yielded more talented players on offense over the last few years, with names such as Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell, plus a top-tier quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger.

But most of Pittsburgh’s shortcomings occur on the defensive side. Brady has sliced and diced the Steelers defense on more than one occasion, throwing for record numbers in yards and touchdowns.

Rob Gronkowski is another huge component to the Patriots success against Pittsburgh. They seem to have no answer for the versatile tight end in the open field.

Gronkowski tallied 168 yards on nine receptions which helped the Patriots squeak by with a 27-24 win the last time these two teams met.

Brady took over the AFC championship game in 2016, overwhelming the defense with 384 yards as well as three touchdowns completing 32 of his 42 passes during the game.

In view of the fact that the Steelers defense has gone unchanged, the Patriots with Brady under center will continue their dominance into the next season considering they still have the better coaching staff and special teams.