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Facing Steelers has usually brought out best in Patriots QB Tom Brady

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Can Brady, Patriots continue their dominance? (0:35)

Mark Schlereth and Damien Woody believe that the Steelers have no chance against the Patriots with Ben Roethlisberger out due to injury. (0:35)

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Ten things to know about the New England Patriots' game against Pittsburgh at Heinz Field on Sunday (4:25 p.m. ET), via ESPN’s Stats & Information:

1. Including the playoffs, quarterback Tom Brady has an 8-2 record against the Steelers, with 24 touchdowns and three interceptions. In his past five starts against Pittsburgh, he has 17 touchdowns and no interceptions.

2. The Patriots have not thrown an interception in their 5-1 start. If they continue that streak Sunday, they will join the 2008 Redskins and 1960 Browns as the only teams in modern NFL history to do that through the first seven games of a season.

3. The Steelers are 12-9 in regular-season games started by quarterbacks other than Ben Roethlisberger since Roethlisberger made his first career start in Week 3 of 2004. Along those lines, receiver Antonio Brown has caught all 43 of his touchdowns from Roethlisberger, the most career receiving touchdowns all from one passer among active players.

4. This marks the first Patriots-Steelers game without Roethlisberger since Week 1 of the 2002 season (Kordell Stewart at quarterback, in a 30-14 Patriots win). Including the playoffs, the Steelers had played nine straight games against the Patriots with Roethlisberger at quarterback (they were 3-6).

5. Over the past two weeks, with Brady at quarterback, the Patriots have run 73 plays out of two-tight end formations, scoring six touchdowns and having no turnovers. All those numbers at least tie for the league lead over the past two games. From 2010-2012 with Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, the Patriots led the NFL in plays and touchdowns out of two-TE sets.

6. Patriots running back James White has played 73 snaps over the past two games, compared to 54 for LeGarrette Blount, which highlights the shift to more of a passing-game emphasis upon Brady’s return. In the first four weeks of the season, when Brady was serving a suspension, Blount played 157 snaps compared to White’s 84.

7. From the spreading-the-wealth department: The Patriots have six different receivers with more than 150 yards, which is more than any team in the NFL.

8. The Steelers have allowed 1,762 passing yards through six games (294 avg.), which ranks 30th out of 32 teams in the NFL. It is the most passing yards allowed by the Steelers through six games in team history.

9. The Patriots’ pass defense has been lagging at times through the first six games of the season, with yards allowed (1,530) their most at this point of the season since 2012, opponents completion percentage (65) the highest it’s been since 2011, and the sack total (11) its lowest since 2012.

10. Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell has had more than 100 yards from scrimmage in each of his three games this season. Bell and Antonio Brown have each had 20 games since the start of 2014 with at least 100 yards from scrimmage, which is tied for third most in the NFL over that span (LeSean McCoy and DeMarco Murray are tied at 21).