The New England Patriots were upset by a shocking game-winning touchdown scored by the Miami Dolphins as time expired in Sunday's game at Hard Rock Stadium.
The good news for the Patriots and their fans is the Pittsburgh Steelers are the next opponent, and the matchup doesn't look nearly as daunting as it did just a few weeks ago.
The Steelers have lost three consecutive games after a bad Week 14 performance against the last-place Oakland Raiders. Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger also is a bit banged up, although he expects to play.
The real reason for optimism among the Patriots and their fans entering Sunday's showdown in Pittsburgh is Tom Brady's remarkable record versus the Steelers since Mike Tomlin took over as their head coach in 2007. Tomlin's Steelers beat Brady and the Patriots in 2011, but since that loss New England has won five straight games against Pittsburgh, including a convincing victory in the 2016 AFC Championship Game.
Here's Brady's record against the Steelers in the Tomlin era:
-- 7-1 record
-- 70.8 completion percentage (207 for 282)
-- 2,571 passing yards
-- 23 touchdown passes
-- 1 interception
The Patriots still are the No. 2 seed in the AFC despite their tough loss to the Dolphins, but they have little room for error with the Houston Texans (also 9-4) owning the No. 3 seed after nine wins in the last 10 games.
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