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8 takeaways from Patriots’ road win over Bengals
Injuries to Will Campbell and Jared Wilson loom large over New England’s ninth-straight win.
The Patriots extended their win streak to nine games in a row on Sunday, but it came at a cost.
Drake Maye and the Patriots left Paycor Stadium with a 26-20 win over the Bengals, but injuries loomed large after New England’s offensive line was shredded.
Here are eight takeaways from Sunday’s win.
A Pyrrhic victory
The good news? The Patriots improved to 10-2 — and won their ninth-straight game — in what ended up being a rock fight at Paycor Stadium.
But it was ultimately a frustrating — and painful — afternoon for Mike Vrabel and his team in a matchup against a dreadful Bengals defense.
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Injuries will be the top takeaway from a game like this, with New England potentially staring at a second-half stretch where they will have to trudge forward without their starting left tackle and left guard in Will Campbell and Jared Wilson.
But within the context of just this one game, Vrabel and his staff likely won’t be thrilled about a game where New England couldn’t cash in on several red-zone opportunities to turn this into a blowout.
A win’s a win — but there’s more work to be done on both sides of the ball.
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And given the injury log after a game like this, there might be some tougher sledding ahead for this club.
Drake Maye shakes off poor start, Hunter Henry stands out
Sunday’s game had all of the makings of a potential standout game for Drake Maye and New England’s offense.
After all, the Bengals’ defense ranked last in the NFL in both points (33.4) and yards allowed (418.2) per game, to go along with the worst run defense in the league (160.9 yards per game) and the second-worst pass defense in the league (257.3 yards per game).
But it was looking like a long day on the gridiron for Maye in the first half, with the second-year QB uncharacteristically off-target on several throws out of the game — culminating in a brutal pick-six in the second quarter that give Cincinnati a 10-0 lead in the early going.
Despite that ugly start, Maye did manage to right the ship on offense down the stretch, overcoming an afternoon where New England’s offensive line was also decimated by injuries.
Maye finished the game completing 22 of 35 throws for a career-high 294 yards.
Leading the charge among Maye’s arsenal of weapons was veteran tight end Hunter Henry. Henry finished with a new career-high of 115 receiving yards, and a touchdown, while nine different players recorded a catch in the win.
A disastrous start
Despite the win, the Patriots labored out of the gate in this matchup — due in large part to Maye’s shaky start.
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After New England punted on the first drive of the afternoon, the Patriots’ defense followed a familiar script so far this season, giving up points on the opposition’s first drive of a game.
Even though Cincy eventually opted for a 54-yard field goal from Evan McPherson, it marked the ninth time in 12 games this year that the Patriots have surrendered points on opening drives.
Maye and the Patriots then submitted a lackluster three-and-out drive, while the Bengals nearly put together another promising sequence after K’Lavon Chaisson was knocked for a brutal offside call on a 4th-and-5 situation from New England’s 45-yard line.
Harold Landry eventually snuffed out that Bengals drive by sacking Joe Flacco, forcing a Bengals punt.
But things continued to snowball on the offensive side of the ball, with an inaccurate start from Maye turning into disaster early in the second quarter.
From New England’s own 16-yard line, Maye airmailed a throw to Henry while open running down the seam — with the lofted pass snagged out of the air by Bengals safety Geno Stone, who returned it back into the end zone for a pick-six.
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It marked the first pick-six given up by Maye, with the Patriots staring at a 10-0 deficit in the early going of a game that was expected to be a lopsided win.
Will Campbell carted off with knee injury
An already miserable day for New England when it came to injuries was made far worse after rookie left tackle Will Campbell suffered what looked like a serious knee injury.
In the third quarter, Campbell was unable to get up after a TreVeyon Henderson run to the left — with the No. 4 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft needing help getting back to the blue medical tent.
Campbell, with a towel draped over his head, eventually needed to be carted off the field — with New England announcing that Campbell suffered a knee injury. With Campbell sidelined, New England turned to Vederian Lowe at left tackle.
While more information should be made available on Sunday evening and in the coming days, a long absence for Campbell stands as a disaster for New England — given both the LSU product’s own sturdy play protecting Maye’s blind side and the dearth of depth behind him on New England’s roster.
Injuries keep piling up
Campbell was not the only Patriots player to exit Sunday’s game.
New England’s offensive line — which has remained largely intact save for one game this season — was splintered early in this one, as rookie left guard Jared Wilson suffered an ankle injury on the team’s first drive.
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Wilson eventually needed to be carted off the field, with the Patriots ruling him out for the rest of the day entering the third quarter. Wilson has had some growing pains, but the 2025 third-round pick has been playing some good football as of late — giving up zero pressures in New England’s primetime win over the Jets on Nov. 13.
Ben Brown filled in for Wilson for the rest of Sunday’s matchup, and will likely be called upon moving forward if Wilson has to miss more time.
Veteran tackle Morgan Moses also missed some time on Sunday after exiting the game with an illness in the second quarter — but he eventually returned to the game. With Campbell later sidelined, New England ended the game with the left side of its O-line decimated.
Special-teams ace Brenden Schooler was also eventually ruled out due to an ankle injury, while defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga was shaken up in the first half — eventually getting ruled as questionable to return with a chest injury.
The loss of Milton Williams — who was placed on injured reserve after injuring his ankle against the Jets earlier this month — was also felt on Sunday. New England’s top-ranked defense did take on some water against the Bengals, as Cincy finished with 120 total rushing yards in the loss.
It was a wretched day for injuries for both the Patriots and Bengals, as Cincinnati also had several players exit the game with a variety of ailments, including a scary scene late in the fourth quarter where Tee Higgins appeared to slam his head off the turf with Carlton Davis on coverage. He was later carted off the field with a concussion.
Maye, Marcus Jones help reel off 17 unanswered points
Even with that dreadful start, the Patriots still entered halftime with a 17-13 lead after reeling off 17-straight points in the second quarter.
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It didn’t take long for Maye to shake off that pick-six, as New England’s next drive went for nine plays and 70 yards — culminating in a 28-yard touchdown throw from Maye to a wide-open Henry after a coverage bust.
It took just four plays for the Patriots to then take the lead, as Marcus Jones jumped the flat on a throw from Flacco and picked off the veteran QB — returning it 33 yards for a pick-six and a 14-10 advantage for New England.
New England added to its lead on its next drive, with Andy Borregales connecting on a 41-yard field goal to make it a 17-10 game.
But the Patriots did end the second quarter on a sour note, as Cincy gained 37 yards off of two plays to close out the half — giving McPherson a chance to attempt a 63-yard field goal.
McPherson converted on the career-long kick, making it a 17-13 game entering the third quarter.
A miserable red-zone stretch
New England had a prime chance to build some breathing room in its first drive of the second half.
After a clutch third-down catch from DeMario Douglas for 37 yards and Boutte drawing a defensive pass interference for 35 yards, New England had a 1st-and-5 opportunity from Cincy’s 5-yard line.
What followed was a miserable sequence for New England, with the Patriots running nine plays, burning two timeouts, and coming away with zero points.
In total, the Patriots had five snaps that came at the 1-yard line, but New England seemingly couldn’t capitalize against the 32nd-ranked run defense in the NFL — with Stevenson stuffed on back-to-back runs at Cincy’s doorstep en route to a turnover on downs.
The red zone has been an issue all season for New England, with the Patriots recording touchdowns on just 58.3 percent of their trips entering Sunday’s game, to go along with four turnovers. Not being able to punch the ball in despite multiple snaps on the 1-yard line was the icing on the cake.
Borregales helps Pats hold on in crunch time
What should have been a comfortable win for New England ended up being a nail-biter in the fourth quarter.
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After Borregales connected on a 45-yard field goal to make it a 20-13 game near the end of the third quarter, Maye and the Patriots had another chance to blow this game open after putting together a 13-play, 89-yard drive that made it all the way to the 1-yard line.
But despite getting a 1st-and-4 bid from Cincy’s 4-yard line, New England once again could not cash in on a touchdown — with Borregales making it a 10-point game after booting another 19-yard field goal.
New England’s defense wasn’t able to close things out on the following drive, as Chrisitan Gonzalez was beaten 1-on-1 in coverage by Mitchell Tinsley to make it a three-point game with 4:35 left in the game.
The Patriots’ offense ultimately couldn’t ice the game by running out the clock or landing a knockout punch with a touchdown — with Borregales giving his team a bit of a cushion once again by converting on a 52-yard field goal with 1:51 left to make it a six-point game.
Cincy’s final drive of the afternoon made it all the way to New England’s 26-yard line before the Bengals eventually turned the ball over on downs. Carlton Davis came up big for New England’s defense on that drive, recording a pair of pass breakups against Flacco.
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4:19: The Patriots get the stop on fourth down and New England will hold on to win this one.
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Patriots win, 26-20.
4:11: That’s a great breakup from Carlton Davis on third down.
4:07: Maye came this close to getting knocked for another interception.
Borregales hits a 52-yard field goal to make it a 26-20 game. Bengals need a touchdown.
4:02: Maye hits Diggs on a 3rd-and-10 to move the chains. Huge play by New England’s top-two players on offense.
3:57: Will Campbell officially ruled out with a knee injury.
3:55: Yuck. Mitch Tinsley beats Gonzalez 1-on-1 in coverage for a touchdown.
It’s a 23-20 game with 4:40 to go.
3:51: What a wretched day for injuries for both of these teams. Tee Higgins is now hurt after slamming his hand with Carlton Davis in coverage. DPI called on Davis.
3:48: Jake Browning now in for Cincy at QB after Joe Flacco appears to have hurt his hand.
3:43: The Patriots once again get in the red zone, but can’t punch it in against the a brutal Bengals defense. Borregales connects on another field goal to make it a 23-13 game.
3:24: End Fourth: Patriots holding onto a 20-13 lead.
3:23: Campbell officially ruled as questionable to return, but it didn’t look good for the promising rookie. He’s carted off with a towel over his head.
3:21: Patriots take a 20-13 lead after Andy Borregales connects on a 45-yard field goal.
It’s a 20-13 game.
3:16: Vederian Lowe is now in at left tackle.
3:15: Khyiris Tonga is also questionable to return with a chest injury.
3:13: Will Campbell is down.
3:04: Yikes. That red-zone sequence ends with New England turning the ball over on downs. Goal-line stand by a brutal Bengals defense.
3:02: Oof. Stevenson can’t run in from 1 yard out. New England has already burned two of its three timeouts with 8:15 to go in this third quarter.
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2:59: The flag parade continues. Henry seemingly reels in a touchdown, but it’s called for OPI on Mack Hollins.
2:58: Patriots go for it on 4th and 1, and Dax Hill holds Pop Douglas on the play. A fresh set of downs for New England on the 1.
2:53: Kayshon Boutte is back — and draws a DPI that moves the ball into the red zone.
2:52: That’a a big-time catch from DeMario Douglas on a 3rd-and-11. 37-yard catch from Pop on a great throw from Maye.
2:47: Chaisson nearly gets a sack against Flacco, who throws the ball away. Cincy punts it away to open the second half.
2:46: Both Jared Wilson and Brenden Schooler have been ruled as out for the remainder of this game.
2:31: Sheesh. Evan McPherson hits a 63-yard field goal.
Patriots lead Cincy, 17-13, at halftime.
2:28: A 66-yard kickoff return by Cincy is negated by a hold. Brutal for the Bengals, and good news for New England.
2:24: Patriots go for it on 4th and 2 with 33 seconds left … but it ends up just being a ploy to draw Cincy offsides.
Borregales’ kick from 41 yards is GOOD.
It’s 17-10 Patriots.
2:22: That’s clearly a forward pass from Maye, not a fumble. They play on.
2:14: Morgan Moses is back in the game for New England.
2:07: PATRIOTS TOUCHDOWN. Marcus Jones jumps the flat and picks off Joe Flacco. He returns it for a touchdown and New England now has a 14-10 lead.
14 unanswered points for New England.
They’ve been pretty uninspiring so far today, but they’re still ahead of Cincy in the second quarter.
2:05: Tonga is on the bench with his helmet on. We’ll see if he can draw back into the game.
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2:02: And now Khyiris Tonga is down for New England. Would be another huge loss if he’s banged up.
1:56: TOUCHDOWN PATRIOTS. Maye hits Hunter Henry for a 28-yard touchdown. He was wide open there.
A good response for Maye to bounce back after that pick-6. That was a disastrous start for New England, and they still only trail by 3.
1:55: Morgan Moses is questionable to return with an illness.
1:54: Brenden Schooler is also questionable to return with an ankle injury.
1:49: Morgan Moses is going to the locker room. Marcus Bryant is now in the game.
1:48: Morgan Moses is now down for the Patriots. Not good.
1:44: Just a poor throw from Maye. Henry was open on the seam, but Maye airmails it.
1:42: A brutal start for the Patriots gets even worse. Maye air-mails a throw to Geno Stone and it goes back for a pick-6.
It’s 10-0 Bengals.
1:40: End First: Bengals lead, 3-0.
1:39: Harold Landry comes up with a huge sack to stall out Cincy’s drive. Bengals are punting.
1:38: That’s a brutal penalty for Chaisson to take there. Can’t have that amid this uneven start.
1:32: Patriots defense really missing Milton Williams so far on this drive.
1:27: Yet another 3-and-out for New England’s offense. Cincy is bringing the pressure on third down.
1:22: McPherson opens the scoring for Cincy with a 54-yard field goal.
Bengals lead, 3-0.
1:21: Good play by Robert Spillane to break up a first-down conversion for Tee Higgins.
1:15: Patriots announce that Jared Wilson is questionable to return with an ankle injury.
1:12: Not good for New England.
1:11: Maye is hit while he throws and it’s incomplete on third down. Patriots are punting.
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1:07: Wilson gets up under his own power but he’s limping. Brown in at LG.
1:05: Jared Wilson is hurting. Looks like Ben Brown is ready to come into the game.
1:04: Henderson gets the start at running back today.
1:02: Bengals win the coin toss and defer. Maye and the Patriots are up first.
12:55: Christian Gonzalez repping Tom Brady ahead of kick-off:
12:10: Patriots warmups are underway:
12:00: A look at the Patriots inactives.
Both Rhamondre Stevenson and Kayshon Boutte are good to go after missing multiple games.
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