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Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New England Patriots: PFM Team Comparison

PFM rates the New England Patriots higher than the Pittsburgh Steelers overall, with a clear advantage. The main reasons are the bigger big-play threat and the clearer long-term football direction.

Current PFM Team Scores

PIT

Pittsburgh Steelers

78.9PFM Team Score#18 NFL
Clear edgeNE

New England Patriots

84.1PFM Team Score#8 NFL
WEEK 2 MATCHUP Sunday, Sep. 20 1:00 PM ET
View on NFL Schedule
PFM CALL Locks September 20th at 1:00 PM EDT

Who wins Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New England Patriots?

Week 2 matchup
AwayPIT1-0
HomeNE0-1

Pick the winner.

Choose your Call
Swap Teams Clear Comparison
PFM JUDGMENT

Why PFM Rates the New England Patriots Higher

The explosive-play advantage belongs to the New England Patriots. One chunk gain can rescue a drive that was otherwise going nowhere. The Pittsburgh Steelers are closest in defense, where the teams remain essentially even.

New England also brings the clearer long-term football direction. That is enough to keep the New England Patriots ahead.

TEAM DNA COMPARISON

Pittsburgh vs. New England Across the Core Pillars

The farther a team reaches, the stronger the rating. Each category also calls out which team has the edge and the exact gap. Hover on desktop or tap on mobile to isolate one team.

PITPittsburgh Steelers
NENew England Patriots
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New England Patriots Team DNA comparisonPFM category scores on a 0 to 100 scale. QB Stability: Pittsburgh Steelers 75.5, New England Patriots 83.7, edge NE +8.2; Offense: Pittsburgh Steelers 75.8, New England Patriots 82.2, edge NE +6.4; Defense: Pittsburgh Steelers 83.9, New England Patriots 83.0, edge PIT +0.9; Coaching Direction: Pittsburgh Steelers 83.2, New England Patriots 85.0, edge NE +1.8; Roster Depth: Pittsburgh Steelers 79.2, New England Patriots 78.2, edge PIT +1.0. Hover on desktop or tap on mobile to isolate one team at a time.
Hover or tap a team to focus that profile. Use Show Both to bring the overlay back.
PITTSBURGH’S BEST PUSHBACK

Defense Is Pittsburgh’s Only Close Fight

Pittsburgh's defense gives the team one place to push back. Pittsburgh sits only 0.9 points behind New England in Defense, but close is not the same as an edge. New England still has Drake Maye at quarterback and Mike Vrabel leading the coaching staff, two advantages the Steelers cannot match in this comparison.

COMPLETE COMPARISON

Where Each Team Has the Edge

PFM Team Score

PIT78.9
Pittsburgh Steelers 78.9
NE84.1
New England Patriots 84.1
Clear New England Patriots edge

Overall NFL Rank

PIT#18
Pittsburgh Steelers #18
NE#8
New England Patriots #8
New England Patriots ranks higher

QB Stability

PIT75.5
Pittsburgh Steelers 75.5
NE83.7
New England Patriots 83.7
Clear New England Patriots edge

Roster Strength

PIT79.2
Pittsburgh Steelers 79.2
NE78.2
New England Patriots 78.2
Slight Pittsburgh Steelers edge

Coaching Direction

PIT83.2
Pittsburgh Steelers 83.2
NE85.0
New England Patriots 85.0
Slight New England Patriots edge

Recent Performance

PIT80.1
Pittsburgh Steelers 80.1
NE84.8
New England Patriots 84.8
Clear New England Patriots edge

Offense

PIT75.8
Pittsburgh Steelers 75.8
NE82.2
New England Patriots 82.2
Clear New England Patriots edge

Defense

PIT83.9
Pittsburgh Steelers 83.9
NE83.0
New England Patriots 83.0
Slight Pittsburgh Steelers edge

Franchise Direction

PIT74.9
Pittsburgh Steelers 74.9
NE78.0
New England Patriots 78.0
Clear New England Patriots edge

Explosiveness

PIT71.5
Pittsburgh Steelers 71.5
NE85.2
New England Patriots 85.2
Major New England Patriots edge

Conference Rank

PIT#10
Pittsburgh Steelers #10
NE#3
New England Patriots #3
New England Patriots ranks higher

Division Rank

PIT#3
Pittsburgh Steelers #3
NE#2
New England Patriots #2
New England Patriots ranks higher

Outlook

PITIn the Playoff MixNEPlayoff Contender
Stronger outlook: New England Patriots
SCHEDULE CONTEXT

Which Team Has the Tougher Road?

Pittsburgh Steelers

Remaining schedule rank: #26

Toughest stretch: Philadelphia Eagles, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans

Strongest opponents: Philadelphia Eagles, New England Patriots, Jacksonville Jaguars

Next five difficulty: 77.8

View Pittsburgh Steelers Road Ahead

New England Patriots

Remaining schedule rank: #13

Toughest stretch: Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Chargers, Buffalo Bills

Strongest opponents: Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills

Next five difficulty: 79.2

View New England Patriots Road Ahead

New England has the tougher Road Ahead at No. 13. The strongest opponents include Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, and Buffalo Bills. Pittsburgh gains one meaningful schedule advantage, while New England still owns the stronger football advantages elsewhere.

View the complete all-32 Road Ahead

Ratings and Schedule Freshness

PFM ratings updated September 15, 2026. Schedule data updated September 14, 2026.

How to Read This Comparison

PFM Team Score determines the overall order. The Team DNA comparison puts five core pillars on the same 0–100 scale, while the full rows show every current category.

PFM compares overall team strength rather than predicting one matchup. Road Ahead adds schedule context without changing PFM Team Score.

See the complete PFM NFL Team Rankings and methodology.

PFM ratings updated
How PFM grades NFL teams