Written by: Scotty B (@patsplanetmedia)
The New England Patriots went on the road Sunday and earned a gritty 26–20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, pushing their record to 10-2 and continuing one of the NFL’s most surprising breakout seasons.
It wasn’t the cleanest showing — especially early — as New England opened the game with one of their slowest offensive starts of the season and suffered injuries to two rookie starters in the trenches. Despite that, the Patriots once again found different ways to win: defense, clutch special teams, and big-time throws from Drake Maye.
EARLY STRUGGLES & A COSTLY INJURY ON DRIVE ONE
The game started with back-to-back empty possessions where nothing clicked offensively. Before the offense even settled in, New England dealt with an immediate blow: rookie left guard Jared Wilson exited on the opening drive with what early reports describe as an ankle sprain. Losing a key starter that early completely shifted the O-line structure and contributed to the slow offensive rhythm, in my opinion. Ben Brown was the fill in.
Still, the Patriots regrouped.
1ST HALF: FROM A COLD START TO FULL MOMENTUM
Cincinnati opened with a 54-yard Evan McPherson field goal, then extended the lead to 10–0 when Geno Stone intercepted Drake Maye for a 32-yard pick-six. Maye was definitely off early on.
Instead of unraveling, New England responded with composure and purpose.
Drake Maye led a 70-yard touchdown march capped by a 28-yard strike to Hunter Henry, cutting it to 10–7. Just minutes later, Marcus Jones read Joe Flacco perfectly and housed a 33-yard pick-six, flipping the lead to New England.
The Patriots added a 41-yard Andy Borregales field goal before the half, entering the locker room up 17–10, a total reversal from their early struggles.
3RD QUARTER: DOMINANCE, A MISSED OPPORTUNITY, & ANOTHER MAJOR INJURY
New England opened the second half with a long, physical drive that reached the 1-yard line — with multiple chances to punch the ball in. Instead, they were stuffed on a run, missed on a fade, and had a rollout blown up on 4th and goal, turning the ball over on downs in what felt like a potential momentum swing.
Worse, the Patriots suffered a second critical offensive line injury:
Rookie left tackle Will Campbell exited in the third quarter with about 5 minutes to go. Early reports indicate he’s likely dealing with an MCL sprain. If that diagnosis holds, it would be the best possible scenario considering how severe it initially looked. New England is hoping those reports are accurate.
Two rookie starters — Wilson and Campbell — going down in the same game forced massive reshuffling up front.
Despite the adversity, New England answered.
The defense forced a quick stop, and Borregales drilled a 45-yard field goal to stretch the lead to 20–13.
4TH QUARTER: BENGALS FIGHT BACK, BORREGALES SLAMS THE DOOR
The Patriots opened the fourth quarter with their most impressive drive of the day: 13 plays, 79 yards, over seven minutes of possession, ending in a 19-yard Borregales field goal for a 23–13 lead.
Cincinnati responded immediately with a 71-yard drive capped by a Mitchell Tinsley touchdown to pull within 23–20.
But New England closed like a veteran team.
Drake Maye moved the chains, burned clock, and set up Borregales for his fourth field goal — a clutch 52-yarder — giving New England a 26–20 lead with under two minutes remaining. The defense closed it out from there.
SCORING SUMMARY
Patriots
Hunter Henry 28-yard TD (Maye) Marcus Jones 33-yard pick-six Borregales FG (41, 45, 19, 52)
Bengals
McPherson FG (54, 63) Stone 32-yard pick-six Tinsley 17-yard TD (Flacco)
TEAM STATS SNAPSHOT
Total Yards: NE 392 — CIN 307
Yards/Play: NE 5.9 — CIN 5.0
Third Down: NE 5/13 — CIN 3/13
Possession: NE 33:14 — CIN 26:46
New England controlled the game after the rocky start, outgaining Cincinnati by 85 yards and dominating situational football.
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
Drake Maye — QB
22/35, 294 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT, 87.1 RTG
Settled in after an early mistake and delivered winning-level throws.
Hunter Henry — TE
7 REC, 115 YDS, TD
A matchup nightmare from start to finish.
TreVeyon Henderson — RB
18 CAR, 66 YDS
Gritty yards, strong runs late, stabilized the offense.
Marcus Jones — CB
Pick-Six, key plays in coverage
One of the most impactful defenders in the league right now.
Andy Borregales — K
4/4 FG (52 long)
Perfect. Difference-maker.
INJURY UPDATE
LG Jared Wilson (rookie) — Left the game on the opening drive. Initial reports suggest a sprain. LT Will Campbell (rookie) — Exited in the 3rd quarter. Early word is an MCL sprain, which would be the best-case outcome given how it looked. The team is hopeful those reports hold.
Losing two rookie starters on the offensive line in one game is brutal, and their status will be one of the biggest stories of the week.
We also had Brenden Schooler and Khyiris Tonga both leave the game with injuries. Awaiting updates on those.
FINAL TAKEAWAY
New England overcame a slow start, two major injuries, a goal-line failure, and a late Bengals push — and still walked out of Cincinnati with a 26–20 win and a nine-game winning streak.
This team keeps proving it can win in multiple ways.
This team keeps proving the doubters wrong.
Next up: A return home for Week 13 MNF against the Giants.
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