Tom Brady started the 2015 season the way he ended the 2014 season.
The Super Bowl MVP threw for four touchdowns, and flirted with an NFL record by completing 19 straight passes, in a 28-21 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL opener.
Rob Gronkowski snared Brady passes for touchdowns in the first, second, and fourth quarters and made a key fumble recovery. Fellow tight end Scott Chandler grabbed a touchdown pass in the third quarter.
Dion Lewis, who lost the ball on the goal line that Gronkowski recovered, compiled more than 100 total yards as a runner and target out of the backfield in his first game since the 2012 season. Julian Edelman caught 11 balls and accumulated 106 yards in the air and on one key run for a first down.
A game Pittsburgh Steelers drove on the Patriots defense but came up short on two first half field goal attempts and settled for three before intermission. A third quarter field goal, following a touchdown and two-point conversion, put the Steelers behind 21-14. But the poor red-zone play early, along with a late Ben Roethlisberger interception, sealed the team’s fate.
The performance mostly erased thoughts of New England’s offseason troubles with the league. But an early Pittsburgh Steelers communications malfunction, and “Where is Roger?” chants, brought the controversy back to the forefront.
Brady finished with four touchdowns and zero interceptions, passing for 288 yards on 25-for-32 completions. Roethlisberger, who added a touchdown with two ticks on the clock, finished with a TD and a pick on 26-for-38 completions and 351 yards passing.
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