Patriots Win Their 9th Game in a Row vs. Bengals

The New England Patriots came into Week 12 at 9–2, fighting for the top of the AFC with young quarterback Drake Maye leading the way. The Cincinnati Bengals entered at 3–7 and were missing two of their most important players. Joe Burrow was still recovering from a turf toe injury, though he returned to practice this week, and star receiver Ja’Marr Chase was suspended for one game. Even short-handed, Cincinnati fought from start to finish, but the Patriots made just enough plays to escape with a 26–20 win and improve to 10–2 on the season.

First Quarter: Bengals Strike First

New England began with rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson, who picked up a few early gains, but two short drives forced the Patriots to punt. That let veteran quarterback Joe Flacco and the Bengals offense set the tone. Cincinnati leaned on running back Chase Brown and quick passes to Mike Gesicki and Tee Higgins. The drive stalled near midfield, but Evan McPherson drilled a 54-yard field goal to give the Bengals a 3–0 lead.

The Patriots still struggled to find rhythm. A few short completions from Maye weren’t enough to keep the chains moving, and Cincinnati controlled field position. The Bengals ended the quarter looking comfortable, winning battles at the line and playing clean, steady football.

Second Quarter: Two Pick-Sixes Flip the Game

The second quarter brought the wildest swing of the afternoon. On the first Patriots play of the quarter, Maye tried to hit Hunter Henry on a short route. Bengals safety Geno Stone jumped the pass, intercepted it, and sprinted 32 yards for a touchdown. Just like that, Cincinnati led 10–0.

Maye answered calmly. He moved the Patriots downfield with short passes to Henderson, Rhamondre Stevenson, and Henry. Then, on a deep throw down the left side, he hit Henry for a 28-yard touchdown, cutting the Bengals’ lead to 10–7 and settling the offense.

Moments later, Flacco tried a quick throw to the sideline, but Patriots corner Marcus Jones read it perfectly. He stepped in front, grabbed the ball, and raced 33 yards for a New England pick-six. In less than five minutes, the Patriots turned a 10–0 deficit into a 14–10 lead.

New England added a field goal near the two-minute warning to go up 17–10, but Cincinnati answered with a booming 63-yard kick from McPherson just before halftime. The Patriots led 17–13 at the break.

Third Quarter: Patriots Build Their Lead

New England opened the second half backed up deep, but Maye made the throw of the quarter—a strike to DeMario Douglas for a 37-yard gain. Henderson and Henry helped move the ball inside Bengals territory, but strong red zone defense forced the Patriots to settle for a short field goal and a 20–13 lead.

The Bengals tried to answer with Brown’s physical running and short passes from Flacco, but New England’s defense held firm, forcing repeated punts. The Patriots controlled the ball, controlled the pace, and slowly wore down the Bengals front.

Late in the third, Maye led another long drive, mixing runs to Henderson with completions to Kyle Williams, Henry, and Austin Hooper. A 45-yard field goal pushed New England’s lead to 23–13 heading into the fourth quarter.

Fourth Quarter: A Bengals Rally Falls Short

Cincinnati refused to quit. Early in the fourth, Flacco dropped back and fired a perfect deep pass to rookie receiver Mitchell Tinsley for a 17-yard touchdown. After the extra point, the Bengals cut the Patriots’ lead to 23–20 and had the momentum.

New England responded with championship-level composure. Maye hit Diggs on a key third down and used Henderson to chew clock. The Patriots reached field goal range again, and Borregales knocked through a 52-yarder to push the lead to 26–20 with under two minutes to play.

Flacco and the Bengals mounted one last drive, hitting Iosivas and Tinsley across midfield. But New England’s defense tightened, breaking up three straight passes near the red zone. With the Bengals out of timeouts, the Patriots ran out the clock.

What the Win Means

New England improves to 10–2, staying near the top of the AFC race. Maye battled through early mistakes, Henry was reliable, and Henderson ran hard. The defense delivered a pick-six and multiple big stops. Incredibly, this is their 9th win in a row!

Cincinnati drops to 3–8, but help is on the way. Burrow is close to returning, Chase will be back next week, and Brown looked strong. The Bengals hope this is the last game they have to play without their superstar duo.