A decade had passed since the New England Patriots last won nine in a row.
It took a 26-20 Pyrrhic victory to get there against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
Here’s a glance back on the 1 p.m. ET kickoff
at Paycor Stadium as head coach Mike Vrabel’s team heads to December with a 10-2 record.
Maye leans on Henry to outlast NFL’s 32nd defense
No defense around the NFL entered Sunday behind Cincinnati’s. Yet while ranked last with 33.4 points allowed per game, 418.2 yards allowed per game as well as in terms of DVOA, that wasn’t on display early.
Opening in “11” personnel, the first drive for New England’s offense brought one first down before ending in a punt. A three-and-out followed next time out against more man coverage and extra heat. And as the second quarter arrived, so did an airmailed interception over the middle that safety Geno Stone returned to the end zone for a 10-0 Bengals lead.
But Drake Maye went right back to his tenured tight end for a team-high seven catches worth 115 yards on Sunday. After finding Hunter Henry for a 28-yard, play-action touchdown on a corner route before halftime, he had another score to his fellow captain wiped away by offensive pass interference after it.
The Patriots quarterback finished 22-of-35 through the air for a career-high 294 yards along with his sixth interception of the season. He added 22 rushing yards on a handful of scrambles.
New England’s line loses its two rookies
New England’s offensive line didn’t have to face All-Pro defensive end Trey Hendrickson on Sunday. The group had to face attrition instead.
Rookie left tackle Will Campbell needed assistance leaving the field late in the third quarter after getting caught on run play. The No. 4 overall pick out of LSU was carted from the blue medical tent to the locker room with a towel over his head and was ruled out with a knee injury.
That loss came three quarters after rookie left guard Jared Wilson went down with an ankle injury on the initial drive. The No. 95 overall pick out of Georgia was also carted from the sideline and downgraded to out with an ankle injury.
An entirely new blindside was the result for a line that had been healthy enough to keep its starting combination for 10 games. Backup Vederian Lowe stepped in at left tackle. Ex-Bengal Ben Brown did the same at left guard. They were joined in trenches by ironman center Garrett Bradbury, right guard Mike Onwenu and right tackle Morgan Moses, who also exited briefly because of an illness as seventh-round swingman Marcus Bryant stepped in.
Cincinnati stood with 14 sacks on the season. That total climbed to 15 against a team that remains unbeaten on the road.
Douglas’ 37-yarder leads wideouts
After missing back-to-back games due to a hamstring injury, Kayshon Boutte got the green light. The wide receiver caught two passes for 15 yards in his return and drew defensive pass interference against Bengals cornerback Dax Hill.
Patriots veterans Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins started alongside the LSU product. But the wideout room combined for 120 yards in all on Sunday.
DeMario Douglas led the way with a single catch. On third-and-11 in the third quarter, with the uprights at the offense’s back, the 5-foot-8 slot receiver split the seam. He came down with a gain of 37 yards. A highlight-reel anticipation throw and catch with three Bengals closing in on the midfield logo.
Henderson remains the starting back
TreVeyon Henderson started three games in a row with the Patriots’ incumbent out. The No. 38 overall pick from Ohio State finished that stretch with five touchdowns in as many days, too.
Another start was in the cards on Sunday. It drew to a close with 81 yards from scrimmage across 21 touches.
Rhamondre Stevenson spelled in for third-and-6 on the offense’s second drive. After being sidelined by a toe injury since the end of October, the veteran running back carried a questionable game status. He went on to total 10 yards of offense while handling seven opportunities. Third-and-goal and fourth-and-goal runs were halted with the score reading 17-13.
The Cincinnati defense entered Sunday allowing an NFL-worst 160.9 rushing yards per contest.
Flacco pick-sixed, but keeps it close
The Bengals did not activate Joe Burrow from injured reserve on the eve of the 1 p.m. ET kickoff. But the Patriots were braced to face a pair of quarterbacks.
Interim starter Joe Flacco completed 19-of-37 passes for 183 yards with one touchdown and one interception on Sunday.
The 40-year-old trade acquisition hit wide receiver Mitchell Tinsley for a 17-yard strike to cut the deficit to three points. The strike had to go through Christian Gonzalez’s tight coverage. It did. New England’s No. 1 cornerback spent time shadowing Cincinnati’s de facto No. 1 wideout, as well. But Tee Higgins exited in the closing minutes after a scary downfield collision with Carlton Davis III.
New England’s initial secondary also included Jaylinn Hawkins and Craig Woodson at safety and its captain at nickel. Marcus Jones jumped a flat route for an interception in the second quarter. He took it back 33 yards to the house to give his side the lead. It’d be the fifth career touchdown for the reigning AFC Defensive Player of the Month. A fourth-and-7 pass with 36 seconds to go went past his outstretched gloves. A fourth-and-10 pass with 23 seconds to go did not.
Bengals find room to run with Williams missing
The Patriots placed Milton Williams on injured reserve due to a high ankle sprain last weekend. The four-year, $104 million defensive tackle’s presence was felt in his absence.
Christian Barmore and Khyiris Tonga, who sustained a chest injury on Sunday, started on the interior for a unit that was allowing 84.7 rushing yards per game. That stinginess was soon subjected to shiftiness. A running back has now eclipsed 50 rushing yards against New England in three consecutive matchups.
Bengals starter Chase Brown managed to get that before intermission on Sunday, moving the chains on his first handoff and finishing with 107 yards across 19 carries from there. A long of 21 was among them. So was a fourth-and-1 conversion in the late stages.
But the front had its moments on a day that five punts and two field goals were were forced. Off a pressure by K’Lavon Chaisson, Harold Landry III recorded a third-and-5 sack to tie his co-starting outside linebacker for the team lead. And off the ball, Robert Spillane broke up a third-and-3 pass underneath while starting off the ball next to Christian Elliss.
Borregales answers through the uprights
Bengals kicker Evan McPherson delivered field goals from 54 and 63 yards away on Sunday, but he wasn’t alone through the uprights.
Andy Borregales went a perfect 4-of-4 field goals and 2-of-2 on extra points during the road trip. The Patriots rookie specialist split things from 41, 45 and 19 yards out. Then, from 52 yards out, he made it a 26-20 lead with 1:56 left on the game clock.
The former Miami Hurricane now stands 19-of-21 on field goals and 33-of-35 on extra points this fall.
