It's only Week 2 of the 2026 NFL season, and a long list of teams across the league is already dealing with significant injuries to some of their best players. That's part of the Patriots' current situation: A.J. Brown is on injured reserve with a high ankle sprain, and they've already ruled out cornerback Carlton Davis for Sunday's matchup with the Steelers.
Pittsburgh is dealing with their own problems as well, as it doesn't appear any closer to reaching a deal on an extension with Joey Porter Jr., who was ruled out for this week's game after missing most of the week. They also ruled out wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr., who played a significant role in their win over the Falcons last week.
With Porter sidelined, Drake Maye has a huge advantage: one less superstar in the secondary to worry about as he tries to air out the football the way he's become known for and get the team back on track with a home win.
The plan was to do that against the Seahawks last week, since they were down multiple starting safeties who would have made the quarterback's night a bit more difficult. However, that's far from what we saw; instead, he was more of a dink-and-dunk quarterback.
That needs to change on Sunday, though.
A depleted secondary should give the Patriots a bit of confidence in a must-win game
After the offense we saw last week, it's fair to say Maye needs a big bounce-back performance. It might be only Week 2, but the season won't get any easier, especially with back-to-back road games next on the docket.
That means that when their opponent is down some superstars, like Porter, the game plan should be to exploit that weakness. So for Maye, it would be good to see him thrown downfield far more than he did in Seattle, particularly to Mack Hollins, who is expected to step up in A.J. Brown's absence.
Given the Steelers' dominant defensive front, it will be difficult to establish the run, even with TreVeyon Henderson back in the lineup. The offensive line will face a brutal test and will hopefully ace it by keeping a player like T.J. Watt at bay and creating space for the running backs to get through.
Most importantly, they'll need to give Maye time to read the field and move the ball. Throwing deep can help win the game against this kind of defense, as long as the quarterback stays calm and stays the poised player we've seen over the last two years.
Porter will be out, which is a plus, but Jalen Ramsey and Asante Samuel Jr. will be suited up, so Maye won't be totally in the clear.
However, Ramsey hasn't been the same player he once was, and Samuel hasn't fully lived up to the high expectations since the Chargers drafted him six years ago. So it's difficult to say who will show up for the Steelers' defense on Sunday.
Regardless, it's a big opportunity for Maye to get the offense back on track and prove they are a legitimate threat in the AFC after a disastrous showing against the reigning Super Bowl Champions last week.
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