Edge rusher Elijah Ponder was all over the stat sheet and the field against the Steelers, contributing as a run stuffer and pass rusher. He finished with five tackles, including three for loss, and a fumble recovery for a touchdown.
Late in the fourth quarter, when the Steelers were on the Patriots’ 4-yard line, Ponder worked his way around left tackle Troy Fautanu to sack Aaron Rodgers for a loss of 13 yards. Edge rusher was an area of concern for the Patriots, dating to the offseason, but the team felt confident about Ponder’s potential.
After playing just 21.1 percent of the defense’s snaps as a rookie last season, he has stepped up into a starting role. Ponder could be tested further if Dre’Mont Jones misses time with his shoulder injury.
Read more from Nicole Yang at Globe.com/Sports. |
