Patriots bring 0-1 record and Week 2 injury questions into Steelers home opener

The Patriots return to Gillette Stadium on Sunday for their first home game of the 2026 season, hosting Pittsburgh at 1 p.m. Eastern on CBS. New England opened the year with a 13-10 loss at Seattle, so the Steelers game brings an early chance to settle the offense and the home-field mood.

The official Patriots schedule lists Pittsburgh as the Week 2 opponent and confirms the CBS/WBZ broadcast. The NFL's Week 2 injury report is the availability source to watch through Friday, with both teams carrying practice designations into the final report.

The matchup has a clear football question. New England must create more reliable early-down offense after scoring 10 points in Seattle, while the defense has to keep Pittsburgh from turning field position into short scoring drives. The answer will depend on the final active list as much as the opening game plan.

Pittsburgh arrives for a road game that puts pressure on New England's first-half response. The Patriots' schedule has Jacksonville next week, so a home loss would leave the club chasing its division and conference position immediately. A win would even the record before the first road trip of the season.

The Patriots and Steelers final injury reports should be checked again Saturday. No unverified status is treated as final here, and no unrelated highlight is attached to the preview.