PIT
Pittsburgh Steelers
79.5PFM Team Score#15 NFL
VS
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.
Current PFM Team Scores
Clear edgeNE
New England Patriots
82.3PFM Team Score#12 NFL
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. Pittsburgh's strongest counterargument is Defense. The Pittsburgh Steelers own the stronger defense. More dependable stops give the offense better field position and keep one bad drive from controlling the day.
New England still holds the overall PFM Team Score lead by 2.8 points. 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
THE COUNTERARGUMENT
Pittsburgh Steelers’ Best Argument
The Steelers can lean on their defense more than the Patriots can. That creates a better floor when the offense stalls or field position turns against the team. The defense advantage is a real point in Pittsburgh's favor, but it does not outweigh the rest of the higher-rated team’s advantages. The problem for Pittsburgh is that New England counters with the bigger big-play threat.
COMPLETE COMPARISON
Where Each Team Has the Edge
PFM Team Score
PIT79.5
Pittsburgh Steelers 79.5NE82.3
New England Patriots 82.3Overall NFL Rank
PIT#15
Pittsburgh Steelers #15NE#12
New England Patriots #12QB Stability
PIT74.5
Pittsburgh Steelers 74.5NE82.0
New England Patriots 82.0Roster Strength
PIT78.2
Pittsburgh Steelers 78.2NE76.8
New England Patriots 76.8Coaching Direction
PIT83.9
Pittsburgh Steelers 83.9NE85.3
New England Patriots 85.3Recent Performance
PIT83.7
Pittsburgh Steelers 83.7NE84.8
New England Patriots 84.8Offense
PIT77.9
Pittsburgh Steelers 77.9NE79.8
New England Patriots 79.8Defense
PIT85.7
Pittsburgh Steelers 85.7NE81.9
New England Patriots 81.9Franchise Direction
PIT74.9
Pittsburgh Steelers 74.9NE76.3
New England Patriots 76.3Explosiveness
PIT73.1
Pittsburgh Steelers 73.1NE87.1
New England Patriots 87.1Conference Rank
PIT#8
Pittsburgh Steelers #8NE#6
New England Patriots #6Division Rank
PIT#3
Pittsburgh Steelers #3NE#2
New England Patriots #2Outlook
PITIn the Playoff MixNEPlayoff Contender
Stronger outlook: New England PatriotsSCHEDULE CONTEXT
Which Team Has the Tougher Road?
Pittsburgh Steelers
Remaining schedule rank: #25
Toughest stretch: Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars
Strongest opponents: Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos, Jacksonville Jaguars
Next five difficulty: 78.9
View Pittsburgh Steelers Road AheadNew England Patriots
Remaining schedule rank: #7
Toughest stretch: Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings, Kansas City Chiefs
Strongest opponents: Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, Buffalo Bills
Next five difficulty: 80.5
View New England Patriots Road AheadNew England has the tougher Road Ahead at No. 7. 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.
Explore Both Team Dashboards
Ratings and Schedule Freshness
PFM ratings updated October 27, 2026. Schedule data updated October 26, 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.
PFM ratings updated
How PFM grades NFL teams