Jim Davis/Globe Staff

The Steelers? Antwon Blake chased down Rob Gronkowski in the fourth quarter.

Jim Davis

Rob Gronkowski recovered a fumble by teammate Dion Lewis in the fourth quarter.

Barry Chin/Globe Staff

New England?s Scott Chandler scored a touchdown in the third quarter.

Barry Chin/Globe Staff

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was not in attendance, a fact some fans noticed.

Barry Chin/Globe Staff

Rob Gronkowski scored a touchdown in the second quarter.

Jim Davis/Globe StaFF

Tom Brady made a pass in the first quarter.

Pittsburgh?s William Gay tried to stop New England?s Julian Edelman in the first quarter.

Jim DAvis/Globe Staff

All four Lombardi trophies were lifted before the opening game against the Steelers.

Jim Davis/Globe Staff

The Patriots? latest championship banner was unfurled before the game.

Jim Davis/Globe Staff

Tom Brady fired up the crowd before the game.

Jim Davis/Globe Staff

Fans supporting Tom Brady filled the stadium.

Jim Davis/Globe Staff

A fan sporting a Tom Brady jersey and Patriots hat prepared for the game.

PATRIOTS 28, STEELERS 21

A banner night ends with another Patriots win

The Patriots picked up right where they left off, defeating Pittsburgh with monster games from Rob Gronkowski and Tom Brady.

Patriots Rob Gronkowski celebrates with his teammates after making a touchdown in the first quarter Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015. (Jim Davis/Globe Staff)

DAN SHAUGHNESSY

Patriots kick off season in style

Providing a gigantic release from a summer of deflation, the Patriots raised the banner they won fair and square.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft along with former Patriots former players Ty Law, Troy Brown and Willie McGinest (do not know the order of the former players) on the field before the Patriots play the Steelers Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015 at Gillette Stadium. (Barry Chin/Globe Staff)

Patriots pregame ceremony is a blowout

Gillette Stadium was rocking with excitement, and, finally, football.

Mike Reiss?s blog post reacting to an ESPN investgative story on Spygate was edited in a manner that raised a lot of questions.

SPORTS MEDIA

ESPN?s Patriots coverage continues to raise flags

The network?s website drew more criticism after some questionable editing on a Mike Reiss piece.

Maria Stephanos.

names

Maria Stephanos leaving Fox 25

The popular news anchor, who?s been at Fox 25 for nearly 20 years, is off to ?pursue new professional endeavors.?

Visitors took photos by the John Harvard statue on Thursday.

Visiting Harvard Yard? Mind the new rules

With some students saying they feel like they?re living in a zoo, Harvard is cracking down on tourists taking photos in windows.

Ronald W. Erdrich/The Abilene Reporter-News

Divided Nation

Amid rise of super PACs, billionaire brothers wield clout

The little-known Wilks brothers have donated more to super PACs than any other family in this election, with Senator Ted Cruz the beneficiary.

Two sloth bears at Capron Park Zoo in Attleboro died within a week of each other.

Beloved sloth bear mates die within week of each other at Attleboro zoo

Amy, 25, and Goof, 27, were star attractions at Attleboro?s Capron Park Zoo. They had three cubs together.

Movie Review

M. Night Shyamalan?s slide reverses course in ?The Visit?

After a decade-long creative downward spiral, the onetime suspense icon is bouncing back.

With Iran deal secure, Kerry faces array of tasks

John Kerry may have trouble matching the nuclear deal in terms of accomplishments. But even critics expect him to keep trying.

A Syrian refugee child held a teddy bear while standing near her family's tent at a makeshift camp for asylum seekers in southern Hungary.

Muhammed Muheisen/Associated press

US to accept 10,000 Syrian refugees

The US has come under increasing pressure to demonstrate that it is joining European nations in the effort to resettle Syrian refugees.

Wheelock leader borrowed lines from others in welcome note

Shirley Malone-Fenner acknowledged using ?words? from the other letters, stopping short of an apology.

Two Roxbury development workers charged with taking bribes

Federal prosecutors allege some prospective tenants knew a way to skip the waiting list at Roxse Homes: pay a bribe.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton spoke at a 'Women for Hillary' grassroots organizing meeting in Columbus, Ohio.

Jay LaPrete/AP

Clinton slams Trump over Fiorina comments

Hillary Clinton?s comments came after Donald Trump reportedly said of Carly Fiorina, ?Look at that face! Would anyone vote for that??

The Salty Pig?s restroom walls are adorned with copies of the comic strip ?The Far Side.?

Boston?s The Salty Pig earns rave reviews ? for its bathroom

The restaurant has been named one of 10 finalists in a national competition celebrating feats of lavatory ingenuity.

UMass Medical School to accept out-of-state students

The Worcester school will benefit financially from the extra students, who will pay about $55,000 per year.

SJC considers couple?s foster parent bid

The couple passed state background checks, but were denied after disclosing their faith-inspired parenting approach, a lawyer said.

Ground Game

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2015/09/01/BostonGlobe.com/Metro/Images/150831_KDB_TED_CRUZ_0011-001.jpg In N.H., Democratic campaign staffers greatly out-number Republicans

Democratic campaigns for president have vastly more staff on the ground in New Hampshire than their Republican counterparts.

Opinion & Ideas

Thomas Piketty

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2015/09/10/BostonGlobe.com/EditorialOpinion/Images/migrant5.jpg Europe must follow Germany?s lead

The continent can and must become a great land of immigration in the 21st century.

The Big Picture

 Serena Williams of the United States celebrates after defeating Venus Williams of the United States in their Women?s Singles Quarterfinals match on Day Nine of the 2015 U.S. Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Sept. 8, in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Mike Stobe/Getty Images for the USTA)

Mike Stobe/Getty Images for the USTA

The Big Picture

US Open tennis 2015

The US Open started August 31 and concludes this weekend in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City.

BetaBoston

Hiawatha Bray | Tech Lab

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2015/09/10/BostonGlobe.com/Business/Images/bray-4610.jpg Apple?s still got its golden touch

Remember the long lines outside the Apple Store last September? Here we go again, and nobody?s more surprised about it than me.

Crux

ON SPIRITUALITY

//c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2015/09/10/BostonGlobe.com/National/Images/43e99f9883d14f7dbcccf8d9f72d8f13-d562f35ee7534050a57f8b8f5f448a48-0.jpg Colbert: A cultural ? and Catholic ? superstar

Let?s face it. There are not many cultural superstars who are superstar Catholics, too. But Stephen Colbert is one of them.