Linebacker Elijah Ponder had a sack and also returned a fumble 19 yards for a touchdown to help the New England Patriots defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers 20-3 Sunday in Foxborough, Mass.
Ponder's touchdown came after defensive tackle Christian Barmore stripped the ball from Pittsburgh quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The TD plus the Andy Borregales point-after kick gave the Patriots a 20-3 lead with 13:37 to play.
TreVeyon Henderson scored New England's other touchdown on a 39-yard run. The Patriots also received two field goals from Borregales .
Deep Dive
How did Elijah Ponder contribute to the Patriots' victory over the Steelers?
What impact did the New England Patriots' defense have on Aaron Rodgers during the game?
What were the key plays that led to the Patriots' scoring against the Steelers?
Drake Maye completed 14 of 22 passes for 208 yards. He was intercepted once. Romeo Doubs had three receptions for 96 yards, and tight end Hunter Henry caught three passes for 40 yards.
Pittsburgh was limited to 235 yards of offense and was 2 of 12 on third down. The Steelers' offense has produced one touchdown in eight quarters this season.
Rodgers was 23 of 39 for 187 yards and was intercepted once. Germie Bernard was Pittsburgh's leading receiver with four catches for 35 yards.
Linebacker Christian Elliss led New England with 12 tackles . He recorded one of New England's four sacks.
{{/usCountry}}Linebacker Christian Elliss led New England with 12 tackles . He recorded one of New England's four sacks.
{{/usCountry}}New England opened the scoring on Henderson's 39-yard touchdown run with 8:22 remaining in the first quarter. It was a four-play, 49-yard scoring drive.
Borregales made a 30-yard field goal with 14:14 left in the first half that extended the lead to 10-0, and Pittsburgh's Chris Boswell kicked a 56-yard field goal on the first half's final play to make it 10-3 at halftime.
The Patriots had a 13-3 lead after Borregales made a 45-yard field goal with 43 seconds left in the third quarter.
New England rushed for 136 yards in the win.
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