Brady, Pats return to scene of many triumphs vs. Steelers

Published: Oct 27, 2011 at 12:24 AM

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Heinz Field can be an intimidating stadium with screaming fans waving yellow towels while watching one of the best defenses in the NFL.

Not to Tom Brady.

The New England Patriots quarterback usually quiets the crowd with outstanding performances that have resulted in his 4-1 regular season mark at the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

His next visit comes Sunday when the Patriots (5-1) return from a bye while the Steelers (5-2) go for their fourth straight win.

"The Steelers are tough to beat at home," Brady said Wednesday. "The times that we beat them we've had to play very, very good games. I think that's what I'm probably most proud of. Some of our greatest games that we've ever played have been against them."

Brady is 6-1 overall against the Steelers, including playoffs, with 14 touchdown passes and three interceptions. What makes that especially impressive is that the Steelers have the NFL's best home-field record over the last 40 years.

So what's Brady's secret to beating them?

"It's just execution," he said. "It's guys getting open and us completing (passes). I don't think there's (any) special thing we do. There's no magic dust we put in our cereal in the morning."

Brady's only loss to the Steelers came on Oct. 31, 2004, ending the Patriots 18-game regular-season winning streak. The result: Pittsburgh 34, New England 20.

"That was a rough day," Brady said. The crowd was "going crazy. The towels were waving. The fans were really into it. It's a great stadium. It's very loud. It's a very imposing stadium. What makes it the most imposing is the way they play and their physical style."

This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be missing content or contain faulty links. Please use the Contact Us link in our site footer to report an issue.