Steelers vs. Patriots: What they're saying in New England after win

They haven’t been thrilled about inept offensive performances in New England either.

Last week, after the Patriots lost to Miami Dolphins 20-7, the headlines demanded coach Bill Belichick find a way to fix the offense.

“Life without Tom Brady was never going to be easy, but the Patriots at least have a clear path forward with a promising young quarterback,” the Providence Journal said.

At least the Patriots did enough to get the win Sunday in hostile Pittsburgh territory, defeating the Steelers 17-14 in a snoozefest of a game.

“After weeks of looking completely disjointed and out of whack, it finally showed a little something in the 17-14 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers,” wrote Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald. “And that offensive lift couldn’t have come at a better time. After losing the opener, the Patriots certainly couldn’t afford to start the year at 0-2, especially with the Ravens and Packers on deck.”

They’re also not that pleased with their quarterback in New England.

“Quarterback Mac Jones threw a bad interception for the second straight week, nearly tossed another and was unusually inaccurate,” wrote Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald.

So, the Patriots reverted to a throwback formula — something the Steelers seem to be unable to replicate.

“Searching for an identity, with a new offense in a new era, the Patriots followed the oldest formula in football to topple one of the NFL’s oldest franchises Sunday,” Callahan wrote. “Run the ball, play great defense, win.”

More Steelers

• Madden Monday: 'Steelers offense has the stench of death. ... They should fire Matt Canada'
• First Call: What in the world happened in the AFC North on Sunday?
• Tim Benz: 'Airing of Grievances' as Steelers struggle in all phases against Patriots
• Mitch Trubisky’s home opener for Steelers much like his tenure with Bears

The Steelers and Patriots are both 1-1 after two weeks. Neither fan base seems particularly pleased with the quarterback play.

“A win is a win, right? For those who watch the NFL religiously on Sundays, we know that 17 points are rarely going to be enough. Watching the Patriots offense put up just seven points against Miami was disappointing,” wrote Mark Daniels of the Providence Journal. “(Quarterback) Mac Jones and the Patriots took a step forward in Pittsburgh, but the offense needs to improve if this franchise wants to take the next step forward.”

Still, the New England defense stole the show in the fourth quarter.

“The defense stepped up huge in the fourth quarter, holding the Steelers to two three-and-outs in a row,” Daniels wrote. “The defense kept the pressure on (Mitch) Trubisky throughout the game. It had three sacks in the first half.”