The inconsistency of the Patriots this season so far has been frustrating to watch, and unfortunately, it's not limited to just one part of the team. Their performance against the Dolphins was impressive, especially after a questionable showing against the Raiders the week before, and that only continued when the Steelers came to town on Sunday.
Despite leading in nearly every measurable, the Patriots were unable to get their first home win of the year and allowed an average Steelers team to steal the W in Foxboro. There are clear reasons for that, the most damaging of which is the five turnovers and a serious lack of tackling.
However, one of the leaders in that regard had a much better performance after what has been a disastrous start to his New England tenure.
Robert Spillane, who has been a leader in missed tackles on the team along with Christian Elliss, bounced back in Week 3 with a team-high performance on the defense. It was much-needed, considering how poorly he's looked through the first two games, and proves he can be exactly the kind of player the Patriots hoped to get when signing him in free agency.
.@14rspillane taking it the other way 🔥
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) September 21, 2025
📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/h7n5kvkYbH
Robert Spillane finally showed up in a way the Patriots' defense needed on Sunday
From analysts and fans questioning how the Raiders were upset about losing Spillane this offseason after watching him play to leading the defense with 15 combined tackles (10 solo), one for a loss, one pass defended, and an interception, the linebacker finally showed up against the Steelers in a way that was starting to look impossible.
Perhaps this is the kind of player that Vrabel and Co. knew they were getting all along, and we just hadn't seen it yet. Or Spillane was aware of how poorly he's played and used this week's game as motivation to massively improve.
It's exactly what the defense needed, even if their efforts ultimately fell short, largely in part to the offense's five turnovers. Their missed tackles are still an issue and will continue to be unless they clean things up, but at least Spillane didn't appear to be the leader in that metric for another week, and hopefully, that will remain the case moving forward.
He's clearly already solidified himself as a leader in the locker room, as he was named a captain ahead of Week 1, so his position with the team is important. He just needs to bring that kind of leadership to the field, as well, so building upon this week's performance will be crucial.
Can he accomplish that is going to be the question.