With Cincinnati on tap, Drake Maye figured to stay hot, and keep the Patriots rolling.
The Bengals defense wasn’t supposed to be a match for the Patriots quarterback, who led the league in completion percentage (71.9%) and quarterback rating (113.2) heading in. The Bengals weren’t expected to provide much resistance, given how bad their defensive unit has been.
And yet, Maye was completely flummoxed early on. He looked like an imposter during the first three offensive series.
At that point, he was 3-for-7 for 16 yards, and had thrown a pick-six.
He was out of sorts, making throws that had little to no chance of completing. Most sailed high.
After the pick-six, Maye finally settled in. He found his rhythm and after an early 10-0 deficit, scored the next 17 points, taking a 17-13 lead at the half.
The Bengals hung in. But in the end, Maye proved too much for Cincinnati, with the Patriots winning their 9th straight game, 26-20.
Basically, Maye got back to being Maye by utilizing his tight ends in the middle of the field. Hunter Henry had three catches for 57 yards and a touchdown in that first half. He was wide open, and Maye stepped up and found him for a 28-yard TD pass.
That connection was golden all day, with Henry catching seven passes for 115 yards and the touchdown.
Austin Hooper, who missed time with a concussion, was back and finished with 3 catches for 39 yards.
Even though Maye (22 for 35, 294 yards, 1 TD, 1 pick) rebounded, the offense still struggled, especially in the red zone. They had numerous chances from the one-yard line on two different possessions, and couldn’t punch it in, turning it over on downs the first time, and settling for a field goal the second.
In all, they needed four Andy Borregales field goals (41, 45, 19, 52) to secure the win.
The Bengals headed into the matchup with one of the worst defenses in the NFL. They had been allowing 33.4 points per game, worst in the league.
Name the category, and chances are the Bengals ranked last (run defense, yards per game) or close to it (pass defense, pass rush).
With that, it seemed like a good bet the Patriots would be able to run the ball at will, only that didn’t happen. Rhamondre Stevenson (toe) was back after missing three games, and didn’t have a carry over 3 yards. Henderson was better, but not much, averaging just 3.8 yards per carry.
Part of the problem was an offensive line that had to undergo a makeover on the fly.
Early on, Maye lost left guard Jared Wilson to an ankle injury. Ben Brown replaced him. And for a time, right tackle Morgan Moses was out dealing with illness. He returned.
Then in the third quarter, Maye was without left tackle Will Campbell, who left on a cart with a knee injury.
Vederian Lowe replaced Campbell.
Needless to say, not optimal with a make-shift offensive line.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.