The New England Patriots’ win streak was on life support in Week 12 against the Cincinnati Bengals. Despite the Patriots entering the game as a touchdown favorite, their eventual 26-20 victory over their three-win
opponent came down to the wire.
Here is a Patriots-centric view at some of the key moments of the game.
Moment No. 1: Bad pick-six
The Patriots offense was in a funk for much of the afternoon, with its lowlight moment coming in the early second quarter. Drake Maye overshot tight end Hunter Henry in the middle of the field, instead hitting safety Geno Stone, who returned the interception 32 yards for a touchdown — the first pick-six of Maye’s career.
Moment No. 2: Wide open
Even though it struggled moving the ball early in the game, the Patriots offense showed some signs of life after the pick-six. The very next possession was a nine-play, 70-yard march that was capped off by a 28-yard touchdown pass from Drake Maye to a wide-open Hunter Henry.
Moment No. 3: Good pick-six
The first interception of the game was returned for a touchdown, and so was the second. Midway through the second quarter, Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco tried to hit a short throw to running back Tahj Brooks but Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones was alert to the play. He undercut the route, caught the pass in stride, and ran it back 33 yards for a touchdown to give New England a 14-10 lead.
The pick-six was the second of Jones’ career. The first also happened against the Bengals, back during his 2022 rookie campaign.
Moment No. 4: Goal-line issues
The Patriots’ victory came down to the wire, but it wasn’t for a lack of opportunities. Twice, they found themselves right at the Bengals goal line — twice they failed to score a touchdown. While the second time did lead to some points thanks to a 19-yard Andy Borregales field goal, the first sequence was a disaster: New England snapped the ball a total of nine times in the goal-to-go situation and eventually came up empty-handed.
Moment No. 5: Fourth down’s the charm
With the Patriots offense failing to properly ice the game midway through the fourth quarter, the Bengals had a chance to drive for the game-winning touchdown inside the two-minute warning. They came close, too, advancing all the way to the New England 26-yard line. At that point, however, the team’s luck ran out: on 4th-and-10, Joe Flacco tried to hit ex-Patriot Mike Gesicki, but Marcus Jones knocked the ball away to secure the win.
