Patriots Stock Changes After Turnover-Filled Loss

It's really hard to find positives from the New England Patriots loss this past week. The 21-14 score doesn't do it justice, as the Pittsburgh Steelers played sloppy football and still found a way to leave with a win. The Patriots turned the ball over five times, committing a trio of drive-extending penalties on third down, and when it mattered most, couldn't come up with a stop on defense.

"We’ve known we don’t need to learn a lesson," head coach Mike Vrabel said right after the game. "We don’t need to learn a football game to know that turnovers are very hard to overcome. They erase all the good things that you do. They take away momentum, they take away points, give them field position. We didn’t need to turn it over as many times as we did to learn a lesson. We knew that before, so it was very unfortunate."

So while it's hard to find true silver linings as the Patriots drop to 1-2, here's the weekly stock up/stock down piece. Some players have become regulars on this list, for better or for worse.

STOCK UP: TE Hunter Henry

Sep 21, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry (85) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the fourth quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images | Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

No matter who's throwing the ball, Henry will find a way to contribute. The tight end, who surpassed Russ Francis and Marv Cook on the franchise all-time receptions list, found the end zone for his first two touchdowns of the season. Henry caught eight passes for a team-high 90 yards -- and is now grateful to be mentioned in the same conversation as Patriots legends Rob Gronkowski and Ben Coates.

"Two guys that are special, special players," Henry said. "To be kind of mentioned in the same breath as those guys is an honor. Still got a lot of work to do, a lot of work ahead of me, but those two guys are special. Patriot Hall of Famers, Gronk will get in for sure and will be a first ballot. To be in the same breath as those guys is an honor."

STOCK DOWN: RB Rhamondre Stevenson

Sep 21, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; The Pittsburgh Steelers recover a fumble during the third quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Enough has been written about Stevenson's continued stretch of lost fumbles, and while his first one came early in the game, his second was the one that made Gillette Stadium let out a collective groan. With a chance to grab the lead, Stevenson drove toward the goal line and had the ball punched out by Steelers lineman Cameron Heyward. It soon became a leading factor in the loss.

"Just attack practice like I do each and every day," Stevenson said about what his mindset is moving forward. "Just have ball security at the top of my mind right now."

STOCK UP: LB Robert Spillane

Sep 21, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots linebacker Robert Spillane (14) returns an interception during the third quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Spillane made a bit of history in his performance. The captain recorded a team-high 15 tackles, including a tackle for loss, to go with a interception and pass deflection. The linebacker became the first Patriots player in franchise history to ever record that statline in a single game, and it came at a great time. Spillane had lead the entire NFL in missed tackles by a linebacker, but was able to put an end to his early season struggles.

"It was a week of focus for me," Spillane said. "It was a chance to bounce back and be a better teammate. That's the only thing that matters to me, how can I be the best teammate?"

STOCK DOWN: WR DeMario Douglas

Sep 21, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Brandin Echols (26) tackles New England Patriots wide receiver Demario Douglas (3) during the fourth quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images | Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

The start of the season has been lackluster for the third-year wideout, and that's putting it mildly. In this recent game, Douglas was on the receiving end of just two passes -- the second one was a bad play that led to the end of the Patriots' comeback hopes. On a fourth-and-1 down by a touchdown, Douglas caught a quick pass from Drake Maye. Instead of driving forward for the first town, Douglas tried to juke his way out of the defender's arms and fell a yard short.

"It was a play. It wasn't designed for anything, it was just a play," Douglas said. "Yeah, I knew I was somewhere by it because we only had two yards."

STOCK UP: WR Mack Hollins

Sep 21, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers saftey Jabrill Peppers tackles New England Patriots wide receiver Mack Hollins (13) during the second quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

After recording his first touchdown of the season a week prior, Hollins was a larger focus of the Patriots passing attack against Pittsburgh. Hollins -- in his first season in New England -- caught four balls for 27 yards. While the numbers won't jump out off the screen, a couple of those plays came on third down and helped extend the chains for the Patriots offense. Despite that, he wasn't a factor later in the game.

"The guys in the locker room are playing hard and they're fighting hard," Maye said postgame "It's tough, and it stings just knowing we hurt ourselves, and that's what cost us."

STOCK DOWN: LB Christian Elliss

Sep 21, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kenneth Gainwell (14) runs the ball during the first quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images | Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

While Spillane might have led the NFL in missed tackles by a linebacker, the player right behind him on that list was Elliss. One of the few holdovers from the Bill Belichick team in 2023, Elliss spent most of his time in the middle of the defense, struggling to make plays. By the end of the afternoon, he was replaced by Jack Gibbens -- who's in his first season in New England. It's been a shaky start to his 2025 season, as Elliss broke out of his shell last year and became a weapon defensively. The Patriots certainly need that version of him back.

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