It’s Curtains for Patriots’ Streak

The New England Patriots’ NFL-record 21-game winning streak lasted for 13 months and two days.

It blew sky-high in 213 seconds.

That’s the time it took the Pittsburgh Steelers to score 21 points in eight plays at the end of the first quarter, and from there they cruised to a 34-20 victory over the Patriots at Heinz Field.

Excluding exhibitions, it was the defending Super Bowl champions’ first defeat since Sept. 28, 2003, when they lost to the Washington Redskins, 20-17, at FedEx Field.

“We weren’t very good in any phase of the game,” Patriot Coach Bill Belichick said.

Start with the running game. The Patriots didn’t have one. With tailback Corey Dillon, the AFC’s third-leading rusher, not in uniform because of a foot injury, the Patriots, inept and playing from behind, rushed six times for a grand total of five yards, their worst rushing “attack” since they ran for two yards against the New Orleans Saints in 1986.

Belichick and the Patriots (6-1), who overcame a rash of injuries to key players in the early stages of the streak, never use injuries as an excuse, but there’s no denying the huge role injuries played Sunday against the Steelers (6-1).

Dillon, who is averaging 4.9 yards a carry and rushed for more than 100 yards in three of the first six games, is a vital part of the offense, and his starring role nearly every week has allowed the offense to succeed despite early-season injuries to Tom Brady’s favorite receivers, Deion Branch and Troy Brown.

The Patriots also lost Ty Law for the day when their four-time Pro Bowl cornerback and best pass defender limped off the field with an injured ankle and foot with 4 minutes 52 seconds left in the first quarter. Two plays later, Law’s replacement, undrafted rookie Randall Gay, was beaten on a 47-yard touchdown pass from Ben Roethlisberger to Plaxico Burress that gave the Steelers a 7-3 lead with 3:46 left in the first quarter.

“He’s the best cornerback in football,” Patriot safety Rodney Harrison said of Law. “You lose him, it has a huge impact on your team.”

No Law, who takes the opponent’s best receiver out of the game each week. No starting right tackle, where Brandon Gorin, a practice-squad player in 2003, made his first NFL start in place of injured Tom Ashworth (back). For the fifth game in a row, no Branch. And now, no Dillon.

And Sunday, against a good Steeler team and the preternaturally poised Roethlisberger, no chance.

“We did the best we could with what we had,” Belichick said. “We had problems everywhere.”

That became all the more obvious as soon as the Steelers kicked off after Burress’ 47-yard touchdown. On first down, Brady, hurried and with arm cocked, had the ball stripped by Steeler linebacker Joey Porter, defensive end Kimo von Oelhoffen recovering at the New England 27.

Four plays (all Duce Staley runs) later, Roethlisberger flipped a four-yard touchdown pass to Burress, safety Eugene Wilson covering. Jeff Reed’s extra point gave the Steelers a 14-3 lead with 29 seconds left in the first quarter. For the Patriots, who were never behind by more than seven points during the streak, it was their biggest deficit since they trailed, 20-3, in that loss to the Redskins.

On the next play from scrimmage, Brady, again under pressure, threw hurriedly to the left side, intending for Bethel Johnson. What he got, instead, was Steeler cornerback Deshea Townsend, who cut in front of Johnson, intercepted and ran 39 yards for a touchdown. Reed’s extra point gave the Steelers a 21-3 lead with 13 seconds left in the quarter.

A Gay gaffe, a Brady fumble, a Brady interception. Eight plays, three touchdowns and a 21-3 Steeler lead.

The game, and the streak, for all intents and purposes were over, even if the scoring wasn’t. Brady did engineer touchdown drives in the second and fourth quarters, but the Patriots never got closer than 14 points.

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The Streak

Results during the New England Patriots’ 21-game winning streak spanning the 2003 and ’04 seasons:

*--* No. Date Opponent, Score 1 Oct. 5 Tennessee Titans, 38-30 2 Oct. 12 New York Giants, 17-6 3 Oct. 19 at Miami Dolphins, 19-13 (OT) 4 Oct. 26 Cleveland Browns, 9-3 5 Nov. 3 at Denver Broncos, 30-26 6 Nov. 16 Dallas Cowboys, 12-0 7 Nov. 23 at Houston Texans, 23-20 (OT) 8 Nov. 30 at Indianapolis Colts, 38-34 9 Dec. 7 Miami Dolphins, 12-0 10 Dec. 14 Jacksonville Jaguars, 27-13 11 Dec. 20 at New York Jets, 21-16 12 Dec. 27 Buffalo Bills, 31-0 13 Jan. 10 * Tennessee Titans, 17-14 14 Jan. 18 * Indianapolis Colts, 24-14 15 Feb. 1 ** Carolina Panthers, 32-29 16 Sept. 9 Indianapolis Colts, 27-24 17 Sept. 19 at Arizona Cardinals, 23-12 18 Oct. 3 at Buffalo Bills, 31-17 19 Oct. 10 Miami Dolphins, 24-10 20 Oct. 17 Seattle Seahawks, 30-20 21 Oct. 24 New York Jets, 13-7

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*Playoff game; ** Super Bowl