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Brady Leads Pats Over Steelers

Whether sprinting out of the tunnel for warmups, watching former teammates and the Patriots owner carrying Lombardi Trophies, or tearing apart the Steelers, Tom Brady relished every moment of this NFL season opener.

Brady called it "a pretty special night''.

 width=Brady threw for four touchdowns, three to favorite target Rob Gronkowski, in a 28-21 victory Thursday night over undermanned and generally ineffective Pittsburgh.

His four-game league suspension overturned by a federal judge one week ago, the three-time Super Bowl MVP was in midseason - or postseason - form. He led drives of 90 and 64 yards for scores on passes to Gronkowski. Gronkowski also recovered a fumble by running back Dion Lewis at the Pittsburgh 1 before his final TD.

Showing some love for his other tight end, newcomer Scott Chandler, Brady hit him for a 1-yard score to cap an 80-yard march with the second-half kickoff.

Fourth-quarter crowd chants of ''Where is Roger?'' mocked Commissioner Roger Goodell over ''Deflategate.'' Goodell did not attend.

Minus two All-Pros on offense - running back Le'Veon Bell (suspended) and center Maurkice Pouncey (injured) - and without suspended receiver Martavis Bryant, Pittsburgh moved the ball decently, gaining 464 yards. But it never really was close.

Ben Roethlisberger threw for 351 yards and a late TD to All-Pro receiver Antonio Brown. Backup DeAngelo Williams rushed for 127 yards.

Pittsburgh had moved the ball decisively on its first drive, but things collapsed after Brown was sacked on a trick play. The drive fizzled, with a missed 44-yarder by Josh Scobee.

Scobee, acquired on Sept. 1 from Jacksonville, also missed from 46 yards and connected from 44 and 24. But the damage was done earlier.

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