The New England Patriots were able to survive their Week 12 game against the Bengals, leaving Cincinnati with a 26-20 victory in hand. Getting that win was a challenge, though: the team of head coach Mike
Vrabel did not just have to fight through some uneven play but also multiple injuries to key players.
There were some standout performances, but on the whole the Patriots — in part due to the circumstances — did not look their best versus the three-win Bengals. Our position grades from the game reflect this as well.
Patriots position grades from NFL Week 12
Quarterback: Drake Maye had an uncharacteristically sloppy game against Cincinnati, especially early on. His ball placement was up and down, and he threw the first pick-six of his career in the early second quarter. After those early-game jitters and that interception, however, he started to settle down and eventually finished the game with going 22-of-35 (62.9%) for a career-high 294 yards and a touchdown to Hunter Henry. That throw, plus another to DeMario Douglas in the early third quarter, were highlight plays for Maye, who also had some solid scramble attempts. All in all, he was not at his best but good enough to earn the win. | Grade: C+
Running back: Rhamondre Stevenson returning from his three-game injury absence improved the depth of the Patriots’ running back group, but his actual impact on the field was limited. The veteran finished with just 5 yards on six carries. TreVeyon Henderson fared batter, gaining 66 yards on 18 carries, but the position group as a whole has had more productive days. The blocking up front was a big part of the struggles, but against one of the statistically worst run defenses in football, you would still expect better from both parties involved. | Grade: C–
Wide receiver: The Patriots focused more on involving their tight ends in the passing game, but they still saw some positive plays from the wide receiver group as well. In total, the group of Mack Hollins, Kayshon Boutte, Stefon Diggs, DeMario Douglas and Kyle Williams finished with a combined eight catches for 120 yards as well as a pair of pass interferences drawn by Boutte. It did lack any home run plays, while Maye’s ball placement left some yards on the field, but — with the exception of a Hollins penalty taking a touchdown off the board in the third quarter — it was an OK day. | Grade: B
Tight end: The Patriots saw something in the middle of the Bengals defense worth exploiting, and it led to their tight end group having one of its best days of the season. Hunter Henry led the way with seven catches for 115 yards and a touchdown, while Austin Hooper — freshly removed from concussion protocol — added three receptions for 39. Run blocking from the pair and fullback Jack Westover was a bit more hit-or-miss, but the group still played a vital role in New England earning a ninth straight win. | Grade: A
Offensive line: The Patriots’ O-line suffered a major loss just three snaps in, and things did not get any easier from that point on. Left guard Jared Wilson left the game with a high ankle sprain on the opening drive, with both tackles also missing time: right tackle Morgan Moses briefly exited in the second period, with left tackle Will Campbell unable to finish the contest after spraining his MCL in the third. The replacements — LT Vederian Lowe, LG Ben Brown, RT Marcus Bryant — fared reasonably well considering the circumstances, but the lack of coherence showed up on several occasions especially in the run game. | Grade: C
Defensive line: Its first game without Milton Williams was a challenge for the Patriots’ defensive line. Cincinnati finished with 120 rushing yards and an average of 5.2 yards per carry, while quarterback Joe Flacco was sacked just once while being pressured on 34.2% of his dropbacks on the day. As with the offensive line, the injury situation did the group no favors — Khyiris Tonga was limited to 12 snaps because of a chest injury — but the players who did take the field were unable to deliver the goods on a consistent basis and at times actively hurt their unit (see: K’Lavon Chaisson’s offsides penalty on 4th-and-5). | Grade: C-
Linebacker: The Patriots’ issues in the run game were primarily due to the defensive line, even though the second level was also at times late to come down or get to the edge. That being said, the group, which did get Christian Elliss back from injury but was without Jahlani Tavai, had plenty of positive moments as well. Jack Gibbens, who shared snaps with Elliss as the No. 2 next to Robert Spillane, looked particularly good: he helped stuff two runs and moved fluidly when used as a zone coverage defender. Gibbens has hit his stride lately. | Grade: B
Cornerback: Even though Christian Gonzalez gave up his first touchdown of the season against Mitchell Tinsley, he and the rest of the Patriots cornerback group played a good game overall. Gonzalez managed to keep Tee Higgins in check when matched up against him, while Carlton Davis and Marcus Jones both made big plays: the former had three pass breakups on the game’s final drive, with the latter returning an interception 33 yards for a touchdown and also breaking up the final fourth down pass of the day. Man-to-man opportunities were rare given New England’s zone-heavy approach, but the group mostly took advantage. | Grade: A-
Safety: Run support was a mixed bag from the safety position on Sunday, but the group showed up in the blitzing game: Jaylinn Hawkins and Craig Woodson, who both played 100% of snaps, each registered quarterback pressures. In coverage, they successfully helped shut down the deep passing game from a zone-heavy mix of single- and two-high coverage shells. Joe Flacco’s longest pass traveled 19 yards. | Grade: B
Special teams: Even though the group lost Brenden Schooler in the early second quarter, the Patriots had a good overall game on special teams. Kicker Andy Borregales made all four of his field goals as well as two extra points, while Bryce Baringer hit the ball well on his two punts. In addition, Kyle Williams looked good in his first action as a kickoff returner — averaging 28.7 yards on his three runbacks — while the coverage groups also did a decent job. New England also was not flagged once, even though penalties have been an issue for much of the season. | Grade: A–
“That’s what this league is about — battling adversity,” said quarterback Drake Maye after the game to perfectly sum it up. “That’s what Coach is preaching all the time, battling back from good plays and battling back from bad plays.”
How would you grade the Patriots’ performance in Week 12? Do you agree with our assessment? Please head down to the comment section to discuss.
