The Bengals were looking to keep their winning streak alive, on the road against a Patriots team fighting for a playoff spot. The injury bug hit again last week, with Sam Hubbard going down. But on the bright side, Trey Hendrickson and Mike Hilton did make their return. After a strong 1st half for the Bengals, things got interesting in the 2nd, and they eventually ended up with their backs against the wall. However, with the momentum against them, the defence was able to remain opportunistic to pry the win back into their grasp.
The Bengals started out hot. On their opening drive, a 39 yard completion from Burrow to Higgins really set the tone. Then, after Mixon went for a couple of nice gains, Burrow found Tee Higgins again, this time, for a 9 yard TD. McPherson missed the extra point. 6-0 Bengals.
New England went three and out on their opening drive, and the Bengals got the ball back at around their own 40. This drive consisted of a lot of shorter passes. The Patriots were trying not to give up much deep, and Burrow, as a result, was content to take what was given. This continued as the Bengals approached the redzone. Then, from 23 yards out, Burrow found Trenton Irwin over the top for a TD. McPherson again missed the point after try, but a penalty gave them a redo. The Bengals elected to take the ball at the one and go for 2, but the handoff to Perine was stuffed. 12-0 Bengals.
The Patriots again went three and out, and the Bengals, after a series of miscues on the Pats’ side, ended up with the ball around midfield. A few plays in, facing 3rd down, Burrow found Irwin for an 18 yard gain, and 15 yards for roughing the passer was also added on. A few plays later, an 18 yard completion to Chase set up a 1st & goal situation. After a Mixon TD was nullified due to a holding penalty, Cincinnati had to settle for a field goal. It was a 28 yarder to give Cincinnati a 15-0 lead.
Cincinnati was driving when they saw the field next, but a Burrow interception ended the drive before points could be up. They did, however, get one more opportunity before the end of the half, and they took advantage. A 10 yard pass to Wilcox, which was followed by a facemask penalty, got things rolling. After some shorter pickups, Burrow hit Trenton Irwin for his second TD of the game. 22-0 Bengals, which is how it stayed at the half.
The tide turned in the 2nd half, unfortunately. The Bengals, on their second drive of the half, were driving. However, there seemed to be some miscommunication between Chase and Burrow, which resulted in a pick 6. Marcus Jones was able to get under the pass, and the dynamic athlete managed to find his way into the endzone. Folk missed the extra point. 22-6 Bengals.
Cincy went three and out on their next drive, and punted the ball back to the Patriots. Mac Jones went to work, finding Meyers for a couple of completions, before hitting Bourne 19 yards down the field. On 3rd & 10, Jones found Bourne again, this time for 32 yards. A few plays later, it was the Jones-Bourne connection linking up again. It was a 5 yard TD on 3rd & goal. The two point try was no good. 22-12 Bengals.
Following the New England TD, the Bengals drove 48 yards down the field, but McPherson hooked the 43 yard attempt wide left. The Patriots got another chance to cut into the lead.
After a few they plays, completed a 28 yard pass. Jones found Bourne at the sideline. It was originally called incomplete, but the play was challenged, and the call was overturned. A grounding penalty on Jones, and then a false start, backed the Patriots up to 3rd & 29. Mac Jones was pressured, but ran around to buy some time. Eventually, he heaved it up like a Hail Mary. The ball was contested, with the Bengals having the numbers in their favour. However, former Bengal, Scotty Washington, tipped the ball, and it landed right into the hands of Meyers. It was a crazy play that resulted in a 48 yard TD. Folk missed another extra point, resulting in a score of 22-18, still in favour of the Bengals.
The problems continued for the Bengals on their next offensive possession. On 3rd & short, Ja’Marr Chase caught a screen pass, but fumbled the ball. New England ended up with possession, now in position to go down and win the game.
Mac Jones and the Patriots methodically moved the ball down the field, and into scoring position. On 3rd & short, they picked up the 1st down at the 5 yard line, and the Bengals then used their final timeout. With about a minute left, a 1st & goal situation, and the Bengals having no timeouts, the Patriots were in complete control at that point. However, the Bengals defence stepped up to snatch back the win. Vonn Bell punched the ball out of the hands of Stevenson. With the ball loose, BJ Hill was able to come away with it, giving possession back to the Bengals.
New England did get one last shot with about 40 seconds left, but the defence was able to stop them. The ball was turned over on downs, and the Bengals took a knee to run out the rest of the clock.
The Bengals improve to 11-4 on the season, and remain in 1st place of the AFC North. They return home next week to take on the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football. The game will have massive playoff implications. A win would allow the Bengals to jump ahead of the Bills for the 2nd seed in the AFC. As well, the number 1 seed is still in play, and a win is a must if they want to stay in contention for it.
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