Patriots who popped in Week 2 win over Steelers

BOSTON -- There is an air of positivity surrounding the Patriots this Monday morning. Winning on Sunday will do that for any team.

Granted, it's a bit of restrained jubilation, because the team was far from perfect in the 17-14 win over the Steelers in Pittsburgh. Had one or two plays gone the other way, the Patriots would be looking at an 0-2 record and last place in the AFC East.

But that is not how it played out, since a number of Patriots made big plays throughout the Week 2 tilt. "Winning Football," as it's called, was on display throughout the victory.

Here's a look at the Patriots who popped in the team's first win of the 2022 season.

Nelson Agholor

When the Patriots' offense need a big play, Mac Jones dialed up a deep ball to Agholor. The receiver did not disappoint. 

Agholor elevated over Steelers corner Ahkello Witherspoon and turned the jump ball into the biggest play of the game: a 44-yard touchdown to give the Patriots a 10-3 lead right before halftime. 

You've likely seen the play hundreds of times already, but it's worth another look.

Agholor caught all six passes that went his way on Sunday for 110 yards and his game-changing touchdown. Not bad for a guy who a lot of folks wanted to see traded or cut over the offseason.

Jakobi Meyers

Meyers continues to be Mac's favorite -- and most reliable -- target on the field. It started early on Sunday, with Meyers hauling in an eight-yard reception to move the chains on a third-and-7. He caught three passes on New England's opening drive, including another third-down reception that went for 16 yards.

Meyers was targeted 13 times in the Week 2 win and finished his day with nine receptions for 95 yards. Four of those receptions moved the chains for the Patriots.

Damien Harris

Harris rushed for 71 yards on his 15 carries and found the end zone when the Patriots were gifted a possession at the Pitt 10-yard line thanks to a Gunner Olszewski muffed punt. 

He was even bigger on New England's final possession, and was a big reason why the Patriots were able to bleed the final 6:33 off the clock and preserve their first win of the season. Harris ran for 28 yards on that final drive, and had a huge five-yard run on a third-and-3 with 1:51 left to seal the victory.

Harris also added two catches for 16 yards, including an 11-yard reception to give New England a fresh set of downs in the third quarter.

The offensive line

The line had some issues with penalties, but overall they had a pretty stellar day -- especially when compared to their performance in Week 1. After racking up seven sacks against the Bengals last week, the Steelers did not have any in Week 2 against the Patriots.

Where the line showed the most progress was in the run game. Pittsburgh had just one run stuff, a massive improvement from the six run stuffs that the O-Line allowed against Miami last week. They blocked their best when the game was on the line, allowing Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson to run free and drain the clock on New England's final possession.

Special props to rookie Cole Strange, who more than held his own against Cam Heyward on Sunday.

Deatrich Wise

Moving over to defense, we have to highlight Deatrich Wise. The big man only had four combined tackles, but he closed off running lanes throughout the afternoon and was a big reason why Najee Harris never really got going for Pittsburgh. 

Wise was on the field for 93 percent of New England's defensive snaps on Sunday. The first-year captain has been a force to start the season.

Mack Wilson

Wilson got the start over Raekwon McMillan, and made the most out of his 38 snaps. The linebacker's biggest play came in the first quarter when he leapt for a Mitch Trubisky pass over the middle. Wilson didn't come down with the ball, but he tipped it up and it landed right in the hands of cornerback Jalen Mills for an easy interception.

"I don't know how many people would have made that play," Bill Belichick said of Wilson after the win. "Just his athleticism and ability to get his hands on it and tip it to Mills. That was a big play for us."

Jabrill Peppers

The veteran safety got his opportunity to make plays when Kyle Dugger left with an injury, and Peppers did not disappoint. He had back-to-back tackles early in the third quarter, sticking Diontae Johnson for just a two-yard gain on a second-down reception before dropping Jaylen Warren for no gain on a short pass from Trubisky on third down. The Steelers had to settle for a 52-yard field goal on the drive thanks to Peppers' big hits.

Peppers had three tackles in his 17 snaps against Pittsburgh.

Matthew Judon

Judon was a menace, as always. He recorded his first sack of the season just before halftime, dropping Trubisky for a four-yard loss. He had an even bigger play late in the fourth, when he broke up a third-down pass to Najee Harris on a third-and-2, forcing the Steelers to punt the ball away. Pittsburgh never got the ball back after that.

Brenden Schooler

Schooler made the team as an undrafted free agent because of his nose for the ball on special teams. The Steelers really beefed when they didn't put a single man on Schooler when the Patriots punted late in the third quarter, a decision Pittsburgh immediately regretted.

Schooler was right there when Olszewski let Jake Bailey's punt hit off his facemask, and pounced on the ball at the Pittsburgh 20-yard line to give possession right back to the Patriots. Harris' touchdown three plays later proved to be the game-winning score, and it may not have happened if Schooler didn't bust his butt downfield.