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The New England Patriots faced off against the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday, December 24 at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA. New England entered the game with a record of 7-7 while Cincinnati came in with a 10-4 record.
In the end, the Bengals were able to come out on top with a final score of 22-18.
The first quarter saw the Bengals take an early lead with two touchdowns by Tee Higgins and Trenton Irwin. The Patriots were unable to get on the board in the first quarter, leaving the score at 12-0 in favor of the Bengals.
Their woes continued into the second quarter, with the Bengals adding another 10 points on the board with a 28-yard field goal followed by another touchdown reception by Trenton Irwin.
Unfortunately, for New England, they were still unable to capitalize on their opportunities, and the score remained 22-0, in favor of Cincinnati at halftime.
The Patriots offense awakens
In the third quarter, the Patriots closed the gap with an interception that was returned for a touchdown, with a missed extra point. The Bengals were unable to add any points this quarter, leaving the score at 22-6 heading into the final quarter of play.
The fourth quarter saw a Patriots rally that almost led to a comeback, however after scoring back-to-back touchdowns, they failed to convert on their last drive of the game. The Bengals came out on top with a 22-18 victory.
Joe Burrow led the way for the Bengals with 375 passing yards and three touchdowns. Mac Jones had a solid game, throwing for 240 yards and two touchdowns.Joe Mixon also had an impressive performance, carrying the ball 16 times for 65 yards. Bengals receivers Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase continued to dominate, racking up over 200 combined yards through the air.
The starkest difference between the two teams was in the total yards gained and in time of possession. While the Bengals put up 442 yards in 36 minutes of possession on the road, the home team struggled, only gaining 285 yards.
Despite the loss, the Pats can take some positives away from this game. Jones looked sharp in his second start of the season and the defense was able to hold the high-scoring Bengals offense to just 22 points.
The Patriots will look to bounce back next week as they take on the Miami Dolphins at home, while the Bengals face off against the Buffalo Bills in Cincinnati.
