The New England Patriots returned home after defeating the Miami Dolphins last week at Hard Rock Stadium. However, their Week 2 success didn’t carry over to Week 3. The Patriots couldn’t get anything going all game, and it was almost infuriating to watch. They had five turnovers against the Steelers, including multiple turnovers inside Pittsburgh’s 5-yard line. It marked the first time the Patriots turned the ball over five times in a game since 2008, according to ESPN Research.

The Patriots could easily be 3-0 right now, but due to self-inflicted mistakes, they sit at 1-2 as they prepare to take on the Panthers at home.

This week, they’ll have to clean up the penalties, turnovers, and costly mistakes in order to start winning football games.

Here are my Studs and Duds from the Patriots’ 21-14 loss in Week 3:

Duds

RB Rhamondre Stevenson

Rhamondre Stevenson played a significant role in the Patriots’ Week 2 win against the Dolphins, but in Week 3 he was one of the main reasons the Patriots lost to the Steelers. The veteran running back had two fumbles on Sunday, including one in the end zone that took away six points. Stevenson was only on the field for five snaps after his second fumble. In total, he had four carries on Sunday. After the game, head coach Mike Vrabel addressed the media, talking about the need to keep Stevenson on the team.

“We’ve got to get him back. We need him. We absolutely need him,” Vrabel said. “We’ll just have to look at the technique and the ball security, but we need his ability. We also need to take care of the football.”

Even the running back himself had tough self-criticism after the game, telling reporters his job is in jeopardy if he can’t hold onto the ball.

“If I don’t hold on to the ball, they don’t need me,” Stevenson said. “I’ve got to do everything I need to do to hold the ball, so I’ll be taking every approach that is needed. Just attack practice like I do each and every day [and] have ball security at the top of my mind right now.”

WR DeMario Douglas

Demario Douglas has seen his target share drop dramatically from last season. That’s partly due to the change in scheme, but also because the Patriots acquired Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins in the offseason, who have risen above Douglas on the depth chart. Douglas finds himself on the dud list for a play that he will most certainly want back. The receiver was targeted on fourth-and-short in a got-to-have-it moment late in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, Douglas caught the ball short of the sticks, which sealed the game for the Steelers. Whether it was due to alignment issues on the line of scrimmage or the inability to know how many yards were needed, Douglas failed to execute on fourth down, and the receiver went backward instead. A fitting end to a disastrous display of football for the Patriots.

DB Alex Austin

Unfortunately, Alex Austin struggled for the second straight week. The young cornerback has had the tall task of trying to fill the absence of Christian Gonzalez. After guarding Tyreek Hill last week and allowing 50 yards in coverage, he was up against DK Metcalf against the Steelers. After two costly third-down penalties in the first half, the Patriots seemingly benched Austin for Charles Woods. The hope is that after another full week of practice, Christian Gonzalez will debut his season on Sunday.

LB Christian Elliss

Another game, another poor tackling performance from the Patriots. Per Next Gen Stats, the Patriots recorded 14 missed tackles on defense and turned the ball over five times in their Week 3 loss to the Steelers. Their 23.3% missed tackle rate was their highest in a game since Week 2, 2018. On the season, the Patriots have recorded the 2nd-highest missed tackle rate (17.8%) entering the late Sunday slate. Linebacker Christian Elliss had multiple opportunities for tackles in the backfield, but he couldn’t wrap the Steelers’ playmakers up. Similar to Austin, Elliss was benched for Jack Gibbens and saw his snap count decrease. We’ll see what the plan going forward is for Elliss, but he has some issues to clean up.

Studs

TE Hunter Henry

Hunter Henry tied his career high in receptions in a single game (8) on Sunday. He totaled 90 yards and caught the only two touchdowns for the Patriots. Henry is one of the longest-tenured Patriots, and his chemistry with Drake Maye is improving significantly. He also passed several notable Patriots players in all-time statistical categories. Henry is now fourth in touchdown receptions and has the third-most receptions by a tight end in franchise history, only behind Rob Gronkowski and Ben Coates. For the fantasy lovers, Henry had 29 PPR points, which is his most in a game since scoring 30 points in 2019. Henry now leads the Patriots in targets (22) and receiving yards (165) through the first three weeks.

LB Robert Spillane

Yes, there were a few plays Spillane would like to have back, but his overall performance jumped off the stat sheet. In Week 3, he recorded 15 tackles — 10 of them solo — and added a tackle for loss. It was easily his best game in a Patriots uniform. To top it off, the veteran returned an interception 37 yards, flipping momentum in New England’s favor. After a quiet start to the year, Spillane needed a performance like this, and the Patriots will be hoping he can build on it as the season progresses.