By Zuri Berry, Globe Staff
PITTSBURGH -- The Steelers did to the Patriots what the Patriots had done to the rest of the league. They spread them out, and then diced them apart.
Ben Roethlisberger completed 36 of 50 passes for 365 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Steelers past New England, 25-17.
Tom Brady was 24 of 35 passing for 198 yards and two touchdowns, connecting on scoring passes to Aaron Hernandez and Deion Branch.
Kevin Faulk, who made his return to the Patriots today, caught five passes for 20 yards and ran for 32 yards on six carries as the starting running back.
Roethlisberger put the Steelers up 7-0 on Pittsburgh's first drive of the game. He hit Mewelde Moore with a five-yard touchdown pass to cap an 11-play, 68-yard drive.
Shaun Suisham made it 10-0 for the Steelers with a 33-yard field goal on the first play of the second quarter, capping a 16-play, 72-yard drive that consumed 7:47.
The Patriots cut the lead to 10-7 two plays after linebacker Gary Guyton intercepted a Roethlisberger pass and returned it to the eight yard line. Brady hit Deion Branch in the front corner of the end zone from two yards.
Antonio Brown caught a seven-yard touchdown pass from Roethlisberger to make it 17-7 with 2:41 left in the first half.
Stephen Gostkowski kicked a 46-yard field goal with 29 seconds left in the first half to cut Pittsburgh's lead to 17-10.
Suisham's second field goal, a 21-yarder to cap a 14-play, 70-yard drive, gave the Steelers a 20-10 lead early in the third quarter.
He added a 23-yard field goal to cap an 11-play, 63-yard drive with 11:30 left in the fourth quarter that made it 23-10.
Brady cut the lead to 23-17 with a one-yard touchdown pass to Hernandez with less than three minutes remaining. The score finished a 10-play, 66-yard drive.
The Steelers made the final score 25-17 when Brady was stripped and the ball went through the back of the end zone for a safety.
0:28 4th quarter: Steelers 23, Patriots 17 -- With two sacks by the Patriots on the Steelers, they have seconds remaining to tie or win this game.
2:35 4th quarter: Steelers 23, Patriots 17 -- Tom Brady found Aaron Hernandez in the back of the end zone for a 1-yard TD pass. The Patriots managed to overcome a strong Steelers defense in the red zone. They benefited from a holding call on the Steelers' Ryan Mundy in the end zone. He held Rob Gronkowski one play prior to the touchdown pass. On a pass to Kevin Faulk at the goal line, the running back was denied the end zone by a swarm of tacklers, reminiscent of fourth and 2.
6:03 4th quarter: Steelers 23, Patriots 10 -- The Steelers' Shaun Suisham missed a 44-yard field goal attempt wide right. With 6:03 left, again, the Patriots are fight the Steelers and the clock.
