This week, the 7-7 New England Patriots will be the opponents of the Cincinnati Bengals as they resume their road trip at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.
Since Tom Brady left after the 2019 season, the Patriots haven’t been as fearsome to play against as they once were. The Bengal last played New England at that time as well.
Brady spent a considerable amount of time in New England, where the Patriots were frequently either the AFC or Super Bowl champions at the time. The Bengals are currently in a similar situation to the defending AFC champs, and they want to have the desired result this time around. However, they need to win on Saturday (yes, Saturday) in order to help ensure they have the highest playoff seeding possible.
The Patriots’ defense, which allows the sixth-fewest yards per game, is no slouch even though they aren’t the menace they once were.
Bengals vs Patriots Week 16 announcers
Ian Eagle and Charles Davis are in charge of the call for this competitive AFC contest. Bengals supporters are likely familiar with this team, and they are an appropriate team for this matchup. While by no means a marquee game, this one is intriguing enough to garner a respectable crowd.
The Patriot’s defense was decent, as I indicated above (which isn’t surprising for a Bill Belichick-led unit), but their offense is another matter, and that’s why the team in blue and white ought to win this game easily. The Bengals’ offense is currently in the top 10 in terms of yards per game, while the Pats’ offense is currently averaging the eighth-fewest.
Will the Bengals’ high-scoring attack be able to outpace the Patriots’ defense? Will the Bengal’s defense keep making the Patriot’s offense appear underwhelming? The answer will come on Saturday.
7 Keys from Patriot’s loss to the Bengals
The Bengals took an early lead and fought off a late Patriots comeback to win 22-18 on Christmas Eve afternoon, dropping New England to 7-8 overall. As it appeared New England was still in shock after their catastrophic last-second loss to the Raiders, the Pats were hurt by a slow start that allowed the Bengals to lead by three scores at the half.
However, with some help from the defense and some big plays from Kendrick Bourne, Marcus Jones, and Matthew Judon, the Patriots were able to re-enter the game and keep it intriguing until the last drive. Rhamondre Stevenson fumbled with the game appearing in the balance and on the edge of an upset victory, seemingly putting an end to New England’s incredible comeback attempt.
Mac Jones completed 21 of 33 passes for 240 yards while Joe Burrow of the Bengals had 375 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions to help keep New England’s hopes alive. The Bengals had a hot start, but then their production dropped and their mistakes mounted, giving New England a chance to almost build a comeback.
With only two games remaining in the season, the Patriots are in yet another late-season slump while the Bengals have re-established themselves as the AFC’s top team and a Super Bowl candidate.
The key takeaways from yet another late defeat are listed below.
- Bengal’s offense comes out firing
- Defense stiffens
- The patriots’ offense struggles in the first half
- Marcus Jones gets another TD
- Bourne comes through
- Deflected touchdown! Forced Fumble! We’ve got a game…almost
- Patriots are 7-8
