Patriots exorcise offensive demons, hang on for road win vs. Steelers - ESPN

PITTSBURGH — With little else to play for other than pride, the New England Patriots turned in a gutsy performance in a 21-18 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

As the Patriots showed a national television audience, playing hard hasn't been their issue this season — all but two of their games have been close. Executing and coming through in the clutch with game-deciding plays has been the problem.

They finally came through in that area against the Steelers… barely.

After a sizzling first half in which they looked as good as they have all season on offense — opening up a 21-10 lead — they relied on their stingy defense to close things out in the second half. Veteran cornerback Jonathan Jones had viselike coverage on a last-gasp fourth-down attempt by the Steelers.

Here's what to know for both teams from Thursday night's result:

Describe the game in two words: Zappe hour. Backup-turned-starter Bailey Zappe gave the Patriots their best quarterback play of the season, becoming the first New England player to throw for three touchdowns in a first half since Tom Brady in 2018.

Pivotal play: Zappe's 37-yard pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster on the third offensive snap. It was the Patriots' first completion of 30-plus air yards on the season, as they were 0-for-18 on those throws entering the night, and it reflected their willingness to attack down the field.

Buying a breakout performance, Part I: Tight end Hunter Henry scored two touchdowns on his 29th birthday. The captain has been a standup presence throughout a challenging season for the team and this was a just reward for him. He became the first Patriot to score a touchdown on his birthday since running back Dion Lewis on Sept. 27, 2015 (who did so on his 25th birthday). Henry