Christian Elliss’ Game-Changing Play Against Saints Could Have Saved His Patriots Career
The New England Patriots (4-2) are officially off to their best start since 2019, when Tom Brady was still their quarterback. Drake Maye is playing with the consistency of a legitimate MVP candidate right now, and the attention flowing his way is about as expected as it is deserved.
The Patriots’ defense, however, might not be getting the credit it deserves for what is now a three-game winning streak.
After an up-and-down first half, the Patriots put the clamps on head coach Kellen Moore and the New Orleans Saints in Sunday’s 25-19 win. New England has now allowed 20 points or fewer in three consecutive games, with four takeaways over that span (all against the Saints and Bills).
The lone turnover of Sunday’s game in New Orleans proved to be the turning point.
The Saints were about to have a first down in Patriots’ territory midway through the fourth quarter when an unlikely hero punched the ball free from tight end Juwan Johnson. Patriots linebacker Christian Elliss has had a rough start to the 2025 season, but he may have saved his job with the clutch performance his team needed to survive New Orleans with a win.
New England Patriots LB Christian Elliss just flipped the narrative on his 2025 season with huge game
Elliss earned his spot alongside Robert Spillane during training camp this year, but it had been a struggle through the first five games of 2025. He entered the Saints game with nine missed tackles and had been a
That changed against the Saints on Sunday. Elliss had his first pass breakup of the season to go with seven tackles and two run stuffs. He also had the key forced fumble on Johnson that stopped the Saints’ best chance at scoring a go-ahead touchdown.
Elliss’ high-IQ play to punch the football out could not have come at a better time.
The Patriots, leading by six, had just punted the ball back to the Saints with 9:41 left in regulation; it was a frustrating drive, too, after penalties nixed a pair of would-be first-down throws, including a 51-yarder to Stefon Diggs that would set the Patriots up in chip-shot field goal range.
New Orleans quarterback Spencer Rattler promptly hit back-to-back throws for first downs on the ensuing drive, and Johnson was diving across midfield when Elliss attacked the ball from behind and dislodged it.
The takeaway didn’t result in game-sealing points for the Patriots, but it did improve their field position. Instead of first-and-10 from midfield with 8:50 remaining, the Saints wound up starting from their own 10 with 5:51 left; they never crossed midfield again.
Elliss thoroughly outplayed Jahlani Tavai, who continues to see a part-time role since returning from injured reserve in Week 5. It was fair to speculate whether Tavai or someone else would take Elliss's job as he struggled through September. However, similar to the feeling coming out of training camp this summer, the job is Elliss's to lose. Sunday's game only solidified it further.
Steelers’ Special Teams Ace Miles Killebrew Facing Lengthy Absence After Knee Injury
The Pittsburgh Steelers have improved over the past couple weeks in part because of better health. But the Steelers could be without safety Miles Killebrew for a while.
Head coach Mike Tomlin called Killebrew’s injury “significant” while going through the team’s ailments Monday. The head coach also referred to the safety’s injury as “significant” immediately after Sunday’s matchup with the Cleveland Browns.
As a result, Tomlin already ruled out the safety for the team’s Week 7 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday.
Killebrew didn’t play a snap on defense in the first five games for the Steelers this season. But Killebrew is one of the best special teams players in the league.
In 2023, Killebrew made first-team All-Pro as a special teams ace. He also made the Pro Bowl for that role in 2023 and 2024.
Steelers’ Miles Killebrew Suffers ‘Significant’ Knee Injury
Killebrew sustained his knee injury in the second half against the Browns on Sunday. The ailment occurred while Killebrew was covering a punt.
If placed on injured reserve, the safety will miss at least four games. It sounds like that’s the minimal amount of time Killebrew might be out.
Tomlin has yet to offer further details on the seriousness of the safety’s injury. But based on the replay of the injury and Tomlin calling the ailment “significant,” it wouldn’t be surprising if Killebrew misses the rest of the season.
In five games this season, Killebrew has posted five combined tackles. He lined up for 64% of the team’s snaps on special teams.
Tomlin implied it will be difficult for the team to replace Killebrew, but the head coach also suggested they must have the “next man up” mentality.
“He’s our captain. But you guys know the moto that we live by. We can certainly hurt for him as a man and as a teammate and a brother and an individual,” Tomlin told reporters Monday. “But from a football perspective, another man’s fortunate is another man’s opportunity.
“We certainly have some capable people. There’s an expectation that others step up and fill in the gaps.”
Tomlin didn’t rule out multiple players needing to step up in different roles to replace Killebrew.
“We’re going to divide the labor up based on the skillset in a certain space,” Tomlin added. “One guy might be similar to him in punt team. Another guy might be similar to him in terms of what he does on the kickoff team. We’ll deal with those individually, per space.”
Killebrew Suffered Injury on ‘Poor’ Field at Acrisure Stadium
The field conditions at Acrisure Stadium in Week 6 were less than ideal. The middle of the field was particularly chewed up, especially by the end of the game.
It’s possible the field contributed to Killebrew’s injury.
Tomlin declined to go that far, telling reporters Monday he had “no idea” if the field played a role in the safety’s injury. But Tomlin called the field conditions “poor.”
Quarterback Aaron Rodgers referred to the field as “borderline unplayable.”
The field at Acrisure Stadium has been a topic of discussion for quite some time, especially locally in Pittsburgh. The Steelers played a famous mud game on Monday Night Football in 2007 against the Detroit Lions.
The field conditions were so bad in that contest, the two teams played the NFL’s first 3-0 affair in 14 years.
But the conditions at Acrisure Stadium have improved in more recent years. It should be better in the team’s next game as well.
ESPN’s Brooke Pryor reported Sunday evening the stadium was re-sodding the field after Week 6.
The Steelers have only played two games at Acrisure Stadium this season. But they had a home preseason contest in August, and the Pitt Panthers have already played four games at Acrisure this season.
Steelers Now’s Alan Saunders reported Monday that seven games is about the length of time a field with the type of grass Acrisure Stadium has will last.
