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| Stephan Savoia / Associated Press |
| Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers are 8-1 vs. AFC opponents this season. |
It was over when ...
The Patriots turned the ball over for the fifth time. Lawrence Timmons intercepted Matt Cassel's pass and ran it back to the 1-yard line with 3:47 left in the game. Two plays later, Gary Russell ran into the end zone to put the Steelers up 33-10.
Game ball
Linebacker James Harrison led a Steelers defense that brought down Cassel five times. In the second half, he sacked Cassel twice and forced two fumbles, both of which were recovered by Pittsburgh.
Key stat
Amid dropped passes and turnovers, the Patriots could never get in a rhythm on offense. They finished 1-for-13 on third-down tries.
Noteworthy
Pittsburgh hadn't won in New England since a 24-21 overtime victory in 1997. ... The Patriots haven't allowed an opponent to score 30 unanswered points since 2003. ... The Patriots haven't turned the ball over five times since 2006. ... The Steelers have outscored their opponents, 77-9, in the third quarter this year.
