Gunner Olszewski helps the Patriots win, but this time as a member of the Steelers

BOSTON — While it may not have been the No. 1 national story line surrounding the Week 2 meeting between the Patriots and Steelers, the debut of Gunner Olszewski as a Patriots opponent was nevertheless on a lot of people’s radars heading into the game.

During that game, it was impossible to miss.

Olszewski committed a costly mistake for his new team, allowing a Jake Bailey punt to hit his facemask late in the third quarter.

Brenden Schooler — an undrafted free agent who made the Patriots’ roster this summer, not unlike the way Olszewski did in 2019 — was in perfect position to recover the loose ball, giving the Patriots new life deep in Pittsburgh territory.

At the time of Olszewski’s mistake, the Patriots led by just four points. But Olszewski’s muffed punt — exacerbated by a personal foul penalty on Connor Heyward — put the Patriots in prime position to add to that lead. Sure enough, three plays later, Damien Harris plunged into the end zone, scoring what ended up being the game-winning points.

A smiling Harris talked about the miscue by his “dear friend.”

“Whatever happened, you know, I told myself I’ll feel sorry for him after the game. I guess now’s the time for me to feel bad for him,” Harris said. “I mean, it’s a tough break, but that’s the way the game goes. Sometimes the ball just doesn’t bounce your way. And fortunately for us, it bounced our way. I told him after the game, I didn’t want a touchdown that easy. But if he was going to give it to me, I’d take it.”

After the Patriots’ 17-14 win, Olszewski didn’t have too much to say about his critical mistake.

“I gotta catch it,” Olszewski said, via Steelers reporter Chris Adamski. “I didn’t catch it. … There’s no excuses.”

Earlier this week, Olszewski wasn’t shy about his desire to give a little extra when playing against his former team.

“Any time you play the ex, you want to show out,” Olszewski told Steelers.com. “Any time I get the ball, I want to do something with it. Playing the old team, the team that didn’t want you, sure I want to go out there and show what I can do.”  

Olszewski signed with the Steelers as a free agent this past offseason, bringing with him a resume that included a First Team All-Pro spot in 2020 for his work as a punt returner. He did have a 20-yard return in his Steelers debut last week, but his gaffe in Week 2 — against his old team, no less — will certainly be hanging over him for a bit in Pittsburgh.