The Bengals are preparing to face a much different Patriots team than the one they played in Week 1 of last season. The Patriots were able to come away with the victory in Jerod Mayo’s first game as head coach, but they only won three more games all season. The Patriots are 9-2, riding an eight-game winning streak and are tied with the best record in the AFC as they get set to take on the 3-7 Bengals.
The Bengals are preparing to face a much different Patriots team than the one they played in Week 1 of last season.
The Patriots were able to come away with the victory in Jerod Mayo’s first game as head coach, but they only managed to win three more games all season. The Patriots now are 9-2, riding an eight-game winning streak and are tied with the best record in the AFC as they get set to take on the 3-7 Bengals.
The Bengals are just three years removed from a conference championship loss, and it’s been just four years since their last Super Bowl appearance. It’s amazing how quickly things can flip in the NFL.
One thing is for certain: The Patriots are in much, much better shape this year with Mike Vrabel as their head coach, Josh McDaniels as the offensive coordinator and Drake Maye, not Jacoby Brissett, starting at quarterback.
Here’s what we’re watching on Sunday at 1 p.m. in Cincinnati:
• The Bengals reportedly will not activate quarterback Joe Burrow from injured reserve in time for Sunday’s game, despite his return to full participation in practice earlier this week. That means Joe Flacco will continue to start. It’s debatable how comfortable Burrow would have looked in a rusty return to the field coming off of a turf toe injury, but this is still a win for the Patriots. Burrow, at this best, is one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL. Flacco has been solid since joining the Bengals, but he’s got a 1-4 record with Cincinnati, and he’s 2-7 on the season, including his time with the Browns.
• The Patriots don’t need to worry about Ja’Marr Chase this week, since he made the inadvisable decision to spit at Steelers defensive back Jalen Ramsey last week and got himself suspended.
