New England Patriots cornerback Carlton Davis got a defensive-pass-interference penalty in the fourth quarter on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The call “lit a fire under” Davis, and he made sure New England came away with a 26-20 victory by breaking up three passes on the Bengals’ final possession.
Davis’ penalty moved the football forward 27 yards for Cincinnati, and the Bengals scored a 17-yard touchdown on the next snap to cut the Patriots lead to 23-20 with 4:40 remaining.
“I don’t agree with that call at all,” Davis said. “It made me mad as (expletive). It was the fourth quarter, and I felt like I put my team in a bad position when it was a BS call, and now they’re in field-goal range and inside the red zone. Then we give up the touchdown, and I’m just mad about it. …
“That (expletive) really lit a fire under me. Like, I promise you I’m not going to let this game slip up from my hands.”
Davis’ pass breakups came on third-and-1 at the Bengals 37-yard line and second-and-10 and third-and-10 at the Patriots 26-yard line. Cincinnati converted a fourth-down attempt after Davis’ first breakup but failed after his third as New England regained possession with 18 seconds to play.
Davis was happy that Cincinnati quarterback Joe Flacco tried him down the stretch.
“I appreciate it. I really do,” Davis said. “I don’t get too many targets, but that (expletive), for a corner, is kind of boring when you’re not getting targets. It keeps you on point when you’re getting targets and understanding the ball is coming my way. I was kind of happy, like ‘Thank God, I can show what I’m doing.’ …
“I want to be accountable for my team, and I’m trying to get a W more than anything. We had it in our hands, and I’m not going to let it slip up, even if they call a BS call, I’m going to go back to battle. They’re going to have to keep calling it because I’m going to put it all on the line.”
Davis had eight tackles to go with his three pass breakups. Davis is the sixth player with at least eight tackles and three passes defended in the same game in the NFL this season.
He’s the seventh New England player to meet those stats in a game this century, a list that starts with current Patriots coach Mike Vrabel, who had eight tackles and three pass breakups in a 12-9 overtime victory against the Buffalo Bills on Dec. 16, 2001.
Davis was among the 15 former Auburn players who got on the field on the 12th Sunday of the NFL’s 106th season.
In the other Sunday games:
Baltimore Ravens 23, New York Jets 10
Jets defensive tackle Byron Cowart is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
Ravens defensive end Carl Lawson is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
Jamien Sherwood started at linebacker for the Jets. Sherwood made 13 tackles, more than twice as many as any other New York player on Sunday. Sherwood recorded his sixth game with at least 13 tackles since the start of the 2024 season.
Chicago Bears 31, Pittsburgh Steelers 28
Steelers offensive tackle Jack Driscoll is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
Detroit Lions 34, New York Giants 27 (OT)
Darius Slayton started at wide receiver for the Giants. Slayton had a 23-yard reception.
Jaguars safety Daniel Thomas (Lee-Montgomery) did not record any stats.
Green Bay Packers 23, Minnesota Vikings 6
Vikings linebacker Austin Keys was designated as a game-day inactive.
Packers safety Jaylin Simpson is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
Packers quarterback Malik Willis handled the offense on Green Bay’s final possession. He completed a 7-yard pass, ran 4 yards on third-and-1 for first down and closed the game with a kneel-down.
Colby Wooden started at defensive tackle for the Packers. Wooden made four tackles and recorded one tackle for loss.
Kansas City Chiefs 23, Indianapolis Colts 20 (OT)
Braden Smith started at right offensive tackle for the Colts.
Seattle Seahawks 30, Tennessee Titans 24
Derick Hall started at outside linebacker for the Seahawks. Hall made three tackles, recorded one sack, registered two quarterback hits and broke up one. The sack was the first of the season for Hall after he recorded eight in 2024.
Titans linebacker Dorian Mausi did not record any stats.
Seahawks cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett (Jackson) made one tackle on special teams.
Jacksonville Jaguars 27, Arizona Cardinals 24 (OT)
Jaguars linebacker Jalen McLeod is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.
Cardinals inside linebacker Owen Pappoe did not record any stats.
Jaguars offensive tackle Kilian Zierer is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
Cleveland Browns 24, Las Vegas Raiders 10
Browns linebacker Eugene Asante is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
Browns tight end Sal Cannella is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson made a 41-yard field goal and kicked an extra point, but he was wide left with a 48-yard field-goal attempt.
Raiders wide receiver Shedrick Jackson (Hoover) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
Raiders defensive tackle JJ Pegues made two tackles and recorded the first tackle for loss of his NFL career.
Dallas Cowboys 24, Philadelphia Eagles 21
Eagles running back Tank Bigsby had an 8-yard run.
Cowboys tight end Rivaldo Fairweather is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
Atlanta Falcons 24, New Orleans Saints 10
Saints linebacker Eku Leota is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
Los Angeles Rams 34, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7
Buccaneers cornerback Jamel Dean was designated as a game-day inactive. A hip injury kept Dean out of the lineup.
Rams running back Jarquez Hunter was designated as a game-day inactive.
Buccaneers defensive tackle Jayson Jones (Calera) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.
Rams cornerback Roger McCreary (Williamson) did not record any stats.
FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OURNFL PAGE
Week 12 started on Thursday night, when the Houston Texans defeated the Buffalo Bills 23-19.
Week 12 concludes on Monday, when the Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers square off at 7:15 p.m. CDT at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. ESPN will televise the game.
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