Pick Six: Week 8

1. It was great to see some familiar faces. RB Kevin Faulk, DT Brandon Deaderick, LB Jerod Mayo, and OT Sebastian Vollmer all returned to action. Faulk, in his first game since being activated off of the physically unable to perform list, started the game in place of BenJarvus Green-Ellis.

2. Maybe because Green-Ellis wasn’t 100 percent, New England ran the ball just 12 times. It is the lowest attempts since 2007 when the Pats rushed nine times against Pittsburgh.

3. New England’s offense is so good, not even the Patriots defense can stop it! Pittsburgh served the Pats a taste of their own medicine by first running a short passing offense for the first couple of drives and then kicking off the second half with a no-huddle attack.

4. As the Steelers ran 27 offensive plays in the first quarter, New England had one three and out. It was the first time the Patriots didn’t gain a first down in the first quarter since 2003.

5. The new instant replay rule needs to be adjusted. All touchdowns are reviewable. But a play that looks like a touchdown but isn’t ruled a score on the field isn’t reviewable. Replays showed the ball crossed the goal line on a completion to TE Rob Gronkowski, but the officials weren’t alerted. Only if head coach Bill Belichick challenged the play would it be reviewed. If all scores can be automatically reviewed, scoring plays ruled incorrectly should get the same treatment.

6. Fix the rule, part two. I also take issue with the play that resulted in a safety. Officials reviewed whether it was a touchdown or a safety, but didn’t review the whole play to see Steelers safety Troy Polamalu punched the ball towards the goal line that created the recovery opportunity. The Polamalu punch is illegal, but not reviewable. Why not? It was a scoring play, right?