The Cincinnati Bengals are headed back to Paycor Stadium licking their wounds amid a three-game losing skid. Up next, they’re hosting the top team in the AFC, the New England Patriots.
One of the biggest story lines as we approach is whether quarterback Joe Burrow will suit up for the team after being a full participant for two straight days on Wednesday and Thursday. He left Week 2’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars with a toe injury that required surgery. The team speculated 12 weeks to recover,
but some medical experts said they would be shocked if he returned at all. If he suits up, it certainly changes the tone of things if he isn’t playing at a drastic disadvantage because of the injury. We likely will not know that until we do or do not see him.
We do know that we will not see Ja’Marr Chase on the field as the wide receiver is the first player in NFL history to be suspended for a game with the cause listed as spitting on an opposing player. This happened as the Bengals were trying to claw their way back into the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers last week. He appeared to spit on Jalen Ramsey after the play. Ramsey, of course, was tossed from the game for committing a personal foul with his retaliation.
All of that is to say New England will be an immense challenge even if both Burrow and Chase were on the field 100% healthy. They are 9-2 and haven’t lost since Week 3. This team has been reinvigorated with the installation of head coach Mike Vrabel. Quarterback Drake Maye has also taken a significant step forward in just his second season. He has thrown 20 touchdowns to only five interceptions. He had 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions last season. Part of that has been Stefon Diggs providing a true WR1 target. However, Maye has not been afraid to spread it around when necessary.
Last week, rookie running back Trayveon Henderson had three touchdowns on Thursday Night Football against the New York Jets. If the Bengals haven’t cleaned up their tackling issues, he could easily repeat or expand on that performance come Sunday.
How to Watch Cincinnati Bengals vs. Patriots
- Game Time: 1:00 PM ET on November 23rd, 2025
- Location: Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati, OH
- Series Leader: The Patriots lead 18-10 overall, with the Patriots holding a slight 8-7 edge in games played in Cincinnati.
- TV Channel: The game will air on CBS-TV. In the Bengals’ home region, it will be carried by WKRC-TV (Ch. 12) in Cincinnati, WHIO-TV (Ch. 7) in Dayton, and WKYT-TV (Ch. 27) in Lexington.
- Broadcasters: Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Trent Green (analyst), and Melanie Collins (sideline reporter).
- Online Stream: Paramount+ (any device, in market), NFL+ (mobile only), NFL Sunday Ticket (out of market) or NFL Game Pass International (International, excluding China)
- Replay: NFL+ and NFL Network (check local listings)
- Radio Broadcast: The game will air on the Bengals Radio Network, led by Cincinnati flagship radio stations WLW-AM (700), WCKY-AM (1530), and WEBN-FM (102.7). Broadcasters are Dan Hoard (play-by-play) and Dave Lapham (analyst).
- SB Nation Patriots site: Pats Pulpit
- Rosters: CIN | NE
- Stats to Know: CIN | NE
- Weather: According to NFL Weather, the game will be in the high 40s with mostly clear skies and a slight chance of rain.
- Odds: The Bengals are currently 6.5-point underdogs, according to FanDuel Sportsbook
Expert Predictions
- CBS Sports has all eight experts picking the Patriots
- Only one of ESPN’s 11 experts took the Bengals
- According to NFL Pick Watch, which takes into account picks from across the web, the Bengals are receiving seven percent of the picks
- Cincy Jungle Prediction: We have an interesting development with the possibility of Burrow actually suiting up. How restricted will he be? Can he make up for the absence of Ja’Marr Chase? Can they keep this close against one of the best teams in the AFC this year? Maybe closer than some expect with a late surge with the Patriots winning 38-28.
