PITTSBURGH — Would it have been too much to ask for a tie?

A way to salvage pride and continue tracking for a top-3 pick?

Yes?

Fine. Call me a scrooge.

Losing was the optimal outcome Thursday night in Pittsburgh, home to one of the most entertaining Patriots games of the season. The Pats upset the Steelers 21-18, a win that could ripple far into their future. But let’s leave the future to the future for a second.

How refreshing, how fulfilling, how doggone good did it feel to watch decent football again? Thursday brought scoring, stakes and a tight finish. For three sweet hours, the doldrums of this miserable season felt distant.

This was prime time. This was an old AFC rivalry pumping with fresh blood. This was football, in its best, most unexpected and unpredictable form.

Why do we watch, if not for games like this? And yet, of course, the best outcome for the Patriots was a close loss.

The franchise needs a reset. The Pats’ bottom-5 roster talent can’t be replaced or replenished over these last few weeks, no matter how many times they win. No amount of end-of-season momentum can provide what they need.

New England Patriots running back Ezekiel Elliott (15) dives for the end zone on a 15 yard touchdown reception during an NFL football game, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Durisko)

Only a franchise quarterback can do that, and the top 10 of the draft is the only consistent and reliable place to find such a player on planet earth. The Patriots must find one there next spring. In the meantime, they have Bailey Zappe.

How in the hell do you explain his performance?

In the first half, the Pats scored eight more points than they had in their previous three games combined. Zappe completed as many deep passes as Mac Jones has since Week 2. The three passing touchdowns were the most the offense had scored in any game since the opener. And the Pats marched to their first opening-drive touchdown of the season.

Zappe asserted himself as the rightful starter the rest of the season without controversy, a win for him and his chances of remaining in New England. But let’s not rewrite history.

Patriots’ Bill Belichick to make rare media appearance this weekend

Zappe is the same passer who led the Patriots to seven points and two turnovers over the last six quarters that led up to Thursday night. His career’s body of work paints the portrait of a lifelong backup. Recently, those brush strokes had him coloring outside the lines and maybe out of the league.

But now? He looks like the best passer on the Patriots’ roster. Good for him, and the teammates that needed such a performance like oxygen for their competitive souls.

Because the Patriots are still a defensive team failed by two phases of their roster. Their special teams allowed a blocked punt and appeared to jump offsides on a fourth-quarter Steelers punt that would have handed Pittsburgh a fresh set of downs. The offense went scoreless in the second half.

In recent weeks, one veteran told Zappe all the defense needed was 21 points. Well, he delivered, and the Patriots won.

Let’s get something else straight: the Patriots have not, are not and will never engage in tanking.

No coach nor player nor staffer has intentionally tried to lose this season. Bill Belichick is too competitive, too cutthroat, too intent on chasing Don Shula’s all-time wins record to let any shot at victory slip within his grasp.

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Now, Belichick might fumble that chance. Jones and/or Zappe might knock it clean out of his hands with poor play. But that locker room, full of proud, alpha men, still has Belichick’s back, and is not lying down. Thursday offered proof of that.

Not to mention, if Belichick is not certain he’ll return to New England anyway, how does tanking benefit him? It doesn’t.

With or without Belichick next season, Patriots are not precluded from making a top-3 pick. They can trade up. And they may not have to, pending upcoming games for the Panthers, Cardinals, Commanders and others.

In the meantime, savor this win as long as you can. Even if the taste is bittersweet.