{"id":63477,"date":"2025-11-21T04:30:25","date_gmt":"2025-11-21T09:30:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/?p=63477"},"modified":"2025-11-21T09:31:43","modified_gmt":"2025-11-21T14:31:43","slug":"morse-patriots-week-12-preview-cincinnati-bengals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2025\/11\/21\/morse-patriots-week-12-preview-cincinnati-bengals\/","title":{"rendered":"MORSE: Patriots Week 12 Preview: Cincinnati Bengals"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is a trap game!\u00a0 The Patriots opened as 8.5-point favorites, and then Ja\u2019Marr Chase was suspended for the game.\u00a0 In addition, starting cornerback Cam Taylor-Brit needs Lisfranc surgery and will also be out.\u00a0 Joe Burrow is not expected to be ready for Sunday\u2019s game, and Trey Hendrickson is probably out as well.<\/p>\n

The Bengals’ Offense is not that bad, considering the injuries they have had.\u00a0 The Offense ranks 18th<\/sup> in scoring at 22.8 points per game.\u00a0 They are averaging 307.1 yards per game good for 23rd<\/sup> in the league.\u00a0 The Passing game is 14th<\/sup> at 225.7 yards a game.\u00a0 The run game is 30th<\/sup> at 81.4 yards a game.\u00a0 In the Red Zone they are decent at 60.7 % which is 14th<\/sup>.\u00a0 On 3rd<\/sup> Down they hit at 41% which is 10th<\/sup> in the league.<\/p>\n

Offense 3 WR 1 TE<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\nStarter<\/td>\n2nd<\/td>\n3rd<\/td>\n4th<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
QB<\/td>\nJoe Flacco<\/td>\nJake Browning<\/td>\nSean Clifford<\/td>\nJoe Burrow IR<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
RB<\/td>\nChase Brown<\/td>\nSamaje Perine D<\/td>\nTahj Brooks<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
WR<\/td>\nMitchell Tinsley<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n\u00a0Ja’Marr Chase SUSP<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
WR<\/td>\nTee Higgins<\/td>\nCharlie Jones<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
WR<\/td>\nAndrei Iosivas<\/td>\nJermaine Burton<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
TE<\/td>\nMike Gesicki<\/td>\nNoah Fant<\/td>\nDrew Sample<\/td>\nTanner Hudson<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
LT<\/td>\nOrlando\u00a0Brown<\/td>\nCody\u00a0Ford<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
LG<\/td>\nDylan Fairchild<\/td>\nLucas\u00a0Patrick<\/td>\nDalton\u00a0Risner<\/td>\nCordell Volson\u00a0IR<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
C<\/td>\nTed Karras<\/td>\nMatt Lee\u00a0IR<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
RG<\/td>\nJalen\u00a0Rivers Q<\/td>\nDalton Risner<\/td>\nLucas\u00a0Patrick<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
RT<\/td>\nAmarius\u00a0Mims<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joe Burrow has been out since the Week 3 game in which he got hurt.\u00a0 Cincy tried using Jake Browning, which was a disaster.\u00a0 They quickly traded for Joe Flacco, and he has made the Offense pretty good.\u00a0 The Bengals’ big problem is that their Defense is the worst in the league, and every game is a shootout.\u00a0 Burrow has started to work out as part of his rehab to come off IR.\u00a0 He has 21 days to be activated to the 53-man roster.\u00a0 Burrow has taken 1st<\/sup> team reps in both Wednesday and Thursday\u2019s practices, and he could be activated for the Pats game Sunday.\u00a0 The season is gone for Cinci. Why chance pushing Burrow to come back? There is nothing to gain.<\/p>\n

Cincy has to turn around on a short week and play Baltimore on Thanksgiving Day.\u00a0 If I were them, I would wait until that game to bring Burrow back.\u00a0 Burrow would have to be activated to the 53-man roster in order to play Sunday. \u00a0Joe Flacco is 40 years old, and this is his 18th<\/sup> season in the NFL.\u00a0 He is still performing at a high level with his guile as well as his skills.\u00a0 He has beaten the Patriots before, and he is a very dangerous player.\u00a0 With the help of his skill players, he could keep the Bengals in the game with a chance to beat the Patriots.\u00a0 His rank is as high as #14 amongst QBs.\u00a0 That is pretty high considering that he started the season with the Browns.\u00a0 After three straight games of elite offensive production with Flacco under center, the Cincinnati offense sputtered and allowed two defensive scores by Pittsburgh in a 34-12 loss on the road in Pittsburgh.\u00a0 Flacco at 6\u20196\u201d, 245 pounds is no threat to run, but will stand in the pocket and take the hits.\u00a0 He was drafted in 2008 in the 1st<\/sup> round (18) by Baltimore.\u00a0 Flacco has been managing an AC joint injury and has played through it.\u00a0 He will probably not practice until Friday.\u00a0 Jake Browning is the worst QB in the NFL.\u00a0 He is ranked 38th<\/sup> of 38 eligible QBs.\u00a0 If he has to play, the Bengals are in serious trouble.<\/p>\n

Ja\u2019Marr Chase has had his appeal, and the League arbitrator upheld his suspension.\u00a0 He will miss the Patriots game and lose over $500K in salary.\u00a0 This elevates Tee Higgins to WR1, and he will get Christian Gonzalez for the majority of his routes.\u00a0 The Patriots may choose to double Higgins with Carlton Davis and a safety, leaving Gonzalez on the other side to shut down Andre Iosivas.\u00a0 Higgins is having a fine season with 35 catches on 64 targets for 514 yards, 15.5 YPC, and 7 TDs.\u00a0 \u00a0The 6\u20194\u201d, 220-pound WR out of Clemson was drafted by the Bengals in the 2020 Draft 2nd<\/sup> round (33).\u00a0 However, he is the beneficiary of having Ja\u2019Marr Chase getting most of the attention and then having the lesser of the opponent\u2019s secondary covering him.<\/p>\n

Iosivas is the definition of an Athlete.\u00a0 The 6\u20193\u201d, 210-pound receiver was born in Tokyo, Japan, played High School football in Honolulu, Hawaii, and played college football at Princeton.\u00a0 He was also part of the Track and Field team at Princeton and was named All-American as a Heptathlete.\u00a0 In 2022, entering his Senior year at Princeton, Iosivas was listed at #15 on Bruce Feldman\u2019s annual \u201cFreaks List\u201d of college players.\u00a0 He was selected in the 2023 Draft by Cincinnati in the 6th<\/sup> round (206).\u00a0 On the season, he has 19 receptions on 35 targets, for 256 yards, 13.5 YPC, and 1TD.\u00a0 Stepping up into the Chase role will be Mitchell Tinsley.\u00a0 The 6\u20191\u201d, 205-pound WR played at Western Kentucky and one season at Penn State.\u00a0 Tinsley went undrafted in 2023 and signed on with Washington and made the Commanders team as a UDFA, playing in 2023 and 2024.\u00a0 In 2025, he signed with Cincinnati.\u00a0 He has just 3 catches on 6 targets for 49 yards, 16.3 YPC, and a TD.\u00a0 Jermaine Burton was a Full Participant and practiced both Wednesday and Thursday and is expected to play Sunday.<\/p>\n

Chase Brown leads the Bengals in rushing. The 5\u201910\u201d, 210-pound RB from Illinois was selected in the 5th<\/sup> round of the 2023 Draft by Cincinnati in the 5th<\/sup> round (163).\u00a0 For the season, he has 519 yards, 4.3 YPC, and 2 TDs.\u00a0 He is only averaging 51.9 Yards per game. \u00a0\u00a0Brown is the 3rd<\/sup> leading receiver on the team with 39 receptions on 53 targets for 229 yards, 5.9 YPC, and 1 TD. Samaje Perine is the primary backup with 198 yards, 6.2 YPC, and a TD.\u00a0 He also has 7 catches on 9 targets for 30 yards, 4.3 YPC, and no TDs.\u00a0 The 5\u2019 11\u201d, 240-pound back played at Oklahoma.\u00a0 He was selected in the 2017 Draft, 4th<\/sup> round (114) by Washington.\u00a0 Perine has been downgraded to Doubtful for Sunday.\u00a0 Tahj Brooks was taken in this year\u2019s draft by Cincinnati in the 6th<\/sup> round (193).\u00a0 The shifty back played at Texas Tech and had back-to-back 1500-yard seasons to make the 1st<\/sup> Team and second team All-Big 12 teams.\u00a0 The 5\u20199\u201d, 210-pound back has only 7 carries for 23 yards and a 3.3 YPC and no TDs.<\/p>\n

It appears that Mike Gesicki may be ready to play on Sunday.\u00a0 He has practiced the last two days and may be activated for Sunday.\u00a0 In his absence, Noah Fant has led the group.\u00a0 The very reliable receiver stands 6\u20194\u201d, 249 pounds, and played at Iowa.\u00a0 \u00a0He was selected by Denver in the 1st<\/sup> round (20) of the 2019 draft.\u00a0 On the season, he has 30 receptions on 34 targets for 256 yards, 13.5 YPC, and 1 TD.\u00a0 \u00a0Tanner Hudson is the 3rd<\/sup> TE.\u00a0 At 6\u20195\u201d, 241 pounds, Hudson is a big target.\u00a0 The Southern Arkansas product enters his 8th<\/sup> season in the NFL and went undrafted in the 2018 draft.\u00a0 He signed with Tampa Bay and played with the 49ers and the Giants before signing with the Bengals this year. On the season, he has 10 catches on 12 targets for 83 yards, 8.3 YPC, and 1 TD.\u00a0 \u00a0Drew Sample is actually listed as the backup on the depth chart, and they also have cam Grandy as a 4th<\/sup> TE.<\/p>\n

The Offensive line is led by Left Tackle Orlando Brown.\u00a0 The mammoth 6\u20198\u201d 345-pound lineman out of Oklahoma was drafted by Baltimore in the 3rd<\/sup> round (82) of the 2018 draft.\u00a0 He was a 2x All-Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year and a 4x Pro Bowl selection.\u00a0 His PFF grade is a disappointing 58.7, good for 55th<\/sup>.\u00a0 On the season, he has given up 7 sacks, 5 QB Hits, 19 Hurries, and 31 Pressures.\u00a0 Rookie Dylan Fairchild starts at LG.\u00a0 The 6\u20195\u201d, 315-pound Guard played at Georgia and was drafted by the Bengals in the 3rd<\/sup> round (81).\u00a0 His PFF grade is 52.1, good for 61st<\/sup>.\u00a0 On the year he has given up 1 Sack, 3 QB Hits, 16 Hurries, and 20 Pressures in 8 starts and missed two games.\u00a0 Former Patriot Ted Karras is their starting Center.\u00a0 The Patriots should never have let Ted Karras go over a measly $1M.\u00a0 \u00a0This, along with letting Joe Thuney go, is one of the biggest blunders of Bill Belichick\u2019s reign as GM.<\/p>\n

The 6\u20194\u201d, 310-pound Center\/Guard out of Illinois, Karras was a 2016 6th<\/sup> round (221) pick that was developed into a starting NFL player by Dante Scanecchia and the Patriots. \u00a0\u00a0His PFF grade is 60.3, good for 27th<\/sup>.\u00a0 On the season, he has given up 1 Sack, 2 QB Hits, 10 Hurries, and 13 Pressures.\u00a0 Right Guard has been a problem for Cincy.\u00a0 Rookie Jalen Rivers is listed as the starter and is Questionable for Sunday.\u00a0 He was upgraded to Limited in practice on Thursday.\u00a0 The 6\u20195\u201d, 325-pound lineman out of Miami was drafted by Cincy as a Tackle.\u00a0 He has an abysmal 30.9 PFF Rating, which is 79th, second-worst of all guards.\u00a0 On the season, he has given up 2 Sacks, 4 QB Hits, 21 Hurries, and 27 Pressures.\u00a0 He has been the starter since the 3rd<\/sup> game of the season.\u00a0 If he can\u2019t go, Dalton Risner is his backup.\u00a0 Risner has started 4 games this season.\u00a0 The 6\u20195\u201d 312-pound Guard played at Kansas State and was drafted in 2019, 2nd<\/sup> round (41) by Denver.\u00a0 His PFF grade is 57.6, good for 49th<\/sup>.\u00a0 On the season, he has given up 1 Sack, 1 QB Hits, 6 Hurries, and 8 Pressures in 291 snaps.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Right Tackle is Amarius Mims.\u00a0 The 6\u20197\u201d, 340-pound Tackle played at Georgia and was selected by Cincy in the 1st<\/sup> round (18) of the 2024 draft.\u00a0 His PFF grade is 55.5, good for 65th<\/sup>.\u00a0 On the season, he has given up 4 Sacks, 3 QB Hits, 17 Hurries, and 24 Pressures.<\/p>\n

Defense Base 4-3<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Bengal Defense is by far the worst defense in the league.\u00a0 They are giving up 418 yards per game (32), 33.4 points per game (32), 257.3 Passing Yards per game (31), 160.9 Rushing Yards per game (32), 68.1% in the Red Zone (30), and are 49.96% on 3rd<\/sup> down (31).\u00a0 Drake Maye must be a nightmare for the Bengals Defensive Coordinator Al Golden.\u00a0 \u00a0What Maye has done to the top three defenses in the league must be keeping him up at night.\u00a0 Add to this the Bengals may be without their top pass rusher Trey Hendrickson and one of their starting Cornerbacks Cam Taylor-Britt.\u00a0 They were already without starting LDE Shemar Stewart.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\nStarter<\/td>\n2nd<\/td>\n3rd<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
LDE<\/td>\nJoseph Ossai<\/td>\nCedric\u00a0Johnson<\/td>\nShemar\u00a0Stewart IR<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
LDT<\/td>\nT.J. Slaton Jr.<\/td>\nJordan Jefferson<\/td>\nMcKinnley\u00a0Jackson<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
RDT<\/td>\nB. J. Hill<\/td>\nKris\u00a0Jenkins<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
RDE<\/td>\nTrey Hendrickson\u00a0D<\/td>\nMyles Murphy<\/td>\nCam\u00a0Sample Q<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
WLB<\/td>\nDemetrius\u00a0Knight<\/td>\nShaka\u00a0Heyward IR<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
MLB<\/td>\nBarrett\u00a0Carter<\/td>\nJoe Giles-Harris<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
SLB<\/td>\nOren\u00a0Burks<\/td>\nBrian Asamoah II<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
LCB<\/td>\nDJ Turner<\/td>\nMarco\u00a0Wilson<\/td>\nDJ Ivey<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
SS<\/td>\nJordan\u00a0Battle<\/td>\nPJ Jules<\/td>\nDaijahn Anthony\u00a0IR<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
FS<\/td>\nGeno Stone<\/td>\nTycen Anderson<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
RCB<\/td>\nCam\u00a0Taylor-Britt\u00a0D<\/td>\nJosh Newton<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
NB<\/td>\nDax\u00a0Hill<\/td>\nJosh Newton<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

Joseph Ossai will start at LDE with Stewart out.\u00a0 The 6\u20194\u201d 263-pound Edge player played at Texas and was drafted in the 2021 draft 3rd<\/sup> round (69) by the Bengals.\u00a0 His PFF grade is 60.3 good for 77th<\/sup>.\u00a0 On the season he has 25 Tackles, 3 Sacks, 5 QB Hits, and 20 Hurries.\u00a0 LDT is TJ Slaton.\u00a0 The 6\u20195\u201d 330-pound DT played at Florida and was drafted in the 2021 Draft 5th<\/sup> round (174) by Green Bay.\u00a0 His PFF grade is 41.3 good for 117th<\/sup>.\u00a0 On the year he has 33 tackles, 0 Sacks, 4 QB Hits and 6 Hurries.\u00a0 RDT is BJ Hill.\u00a0 the 6\u20193\u201d 311-pound DT played at NC State and was selected in the 2018 Draft 3rd<\/sup> round (69) by the NY Giants.\u00a0 His PFF grade is 64 good for 45th<\/sup>.\u00a0 On the season he has 38 Tackles, 3 Sacks, 2 QB Hits and 12 Pressures. Myles Murphy may be thrust into the starting lineup with Hendrickson out.\u00a0 The 6\u20195\u201d 275-pound Edge player played at Clemson and was a 2023 selection in the 1st<\/sup> round (29) by Cincy. \u00a0His PFF grade is 56.9 good for 87th<\/sup>.\u00a0 On the year he has 28 Tackles, 3 Sacks, 1 QB Hit and 15 Hurries.<\/p>\n

How bad are Bengals linebackers?\u00a0 They have two of the worst linebackers in the league.\u00a0 The other linebacker doesn\u2019t have enough snaps to qualify for a ranking.\u00a0 Weakside Linebacker is Demetrius Knight. \u00a0The rookie 6\u20192\u201d, 245-pound LB played at South Carolina and was the Bengals’ 2nd<\/sup> round (49) selection in this year\u2019s draft.\u00a0 His PFF grade is 36.7 for a ranking of 80 of 81 linebackers. For the season, he has 70 Tackles, 0 Sacks, 2 QB Hits, and 1 Pressure. \u00a0Barrett Carter is the MLB.\u00a0 He stands 6\u20191\u201d, 230-pound linebacker who played at Clemson.\u00a0 He was a 4th<\/sup> round (119) selection by Cincinnati.\u00a0 His PFF grade is 33.2, the worst in the league (81). For the season, he has 62 Tackles, 0 Sacks, 0 QB Hits, and 3 Pressures.\u00a0 \u00a0The Strongside linebacker is the replacement for Logan Wilson, who was benched and then traded to Dallas.\u00a0 Burks I a 6\u20193\u201d, 233-pound linebacker who played at Vanderbilt.\u00a0 He was a 3rd<\/sup> round (88) by Green Bay in the 2018 Draft.\u00a0 His PFF rating is 53.9 but he doesn\u2019t have enough snaps to be ranked.\u00a0 For the season he has 38 Tackles, 0 Sacks, 0 QB Hits, and 3 Pressures.<\/p>\n

The secondary was hurt by Cam Taylor-Britt\u2019s injury.\u00a0 He is listed as Doubtful and I think he will be out.\u00a0 DJ Turner is their best DB.\u00a0 The 5\u201911\u201d, 180-pound CB played at Michigan and was selected by Cincinnati in the 2nd<\/sup> round (61) of the 2023 draft.\u00a0 His PFF rating is 73, good for 14th<\/sup> amongst all Conerbacks.\u00a0 He has 27 Tackles, and no sacks, QB Hits or Hurries.\u00a0 Jordan Battle is the Strong Safety.\u00a0 The 6\u20191\u201d 206-pound Safety played at Alabama and was Cincy\u2019s 3rd<\/sup> round (96) 2023 draft selection.\u00a0 \u00a0His PFF grade is 63.3 good for 49th<\/sup>.\u00a0 On the season he leads the team with 76 Tackles, 0 Sacks, 0 QB Hits, and 1 Hurry.\u00a0 Geno Stone is the Free Safety position.\u00a0 The 5\u201911\u201d, 210-pound Safety played at Iowa and was selected in the 2020 draft 7th<\/sup> round (219) by Baltimore.\u00a0 His PFF grade is 53.5 good for 78th<\/sup> amongst all Safeties.\u00a0 On the season he has 67 Tackles, 1 sack, 2 QB Hits, and 1 Hurry.\u00a0 Josh Newton will probably be the fill in for Taylor-Britt.\u00a0 The 6\u2019, 190-pound CB played at TCU and was a 2024 5th<\/sup> round selection by the Bengals.\u00a0 His PFF rating is 54,2 good for 85th<\/sup>.\u00a0 He has 14 Tackles, and no Sacks, QB Hits, or Hurries.\u00a0 Dax Hill is the Nickel Back.\u00a0 The 6\u2019 191-pound CB played at Michigan and was a 2022 1st<\/sup> round (31) selection by Cincinatti.\u00a0 His PFF grade is 57.2 good for 70th<\/sup>.\u00a0 On the season he has 64 Tackles, and no Sacks, QB Hits, or Hurries.<\/p>\n

Safety Daijahn Anthony is still listed as IR, but he was a full participant in practice on Thursday and is likely to be added back to the active roster on Sunday.<\/p>\n

Special Teams<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/td>\nStarter<\/td>\n2nd<\/td>\n3rd<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
PK<\/td>\nEvan McPherson<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
P<\/td>\nRyan Rehkow<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
H<\/td>\nRyan Rehkow<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
PR<\/td>\nCharlie Jones<\/td>\nJermaine Burton Q<\/td>\n–<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
KR<\/td>\nCharlie Jones<\/td>\nJermaine Burton Q<\/td>\nSamaje Perine Q<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
LS<\/td>\nWilliam Wagner<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 <\/p>\n

The Bengals’ Special Teams are very good.\u00a0 Charlie Jones is the 19th<\/sup> ranked Kickoff Returner with a 25.9 yards per return and a TD.\u00a0 As a Punt Returner he has 10.4 yards per return.\u00a0 He doesn\u2019t have enough returns to be ranked but he would have been 12th<\/sup> in the league. \u00a0\u00a0Punter Ryan Rehkow leads the league with a 53.1 Punting average.\u00a0 His Net Yards per Punt is 42.9 which is 10th<\/sup>.\u00a0 Kicker Evan McPherson has been very consistent inside 50 yards.\u00a0 He has missed only 3 FGs of 18 attempts and all 3 were beyond 50 yards.\u00a0 He is perfect 23 for 23 on Extra Points.<\/p>\n

Prediction<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I fear this game could turn into a shootout.\u00a0 There is no question the Patriots will score points.\u00a0 My biggest question is whether the Patriots have not had to come back from a two-score deficit in the second half of a game.\u00a0 They have given up the opening drive TD in nearly every game.\u00a0 However, the Defense has made adjustments and shut down opponents in the 2nd<\/sup> and 3rd<\/sup> Quarters, allowing the Offense to get ahead of their opponents.\u00a0 What happens if they are behind late.\u00a0 Maye has yet to show that he can come back with late game heroics.\u00a0 I believe this is going to be a close game.\u00a0 The odds have dropped a point and a half since Monday, so the early money was bet on the Bengals, driving the number down.\u00a0 I am thinking it going to be 37 \u2013 31 Patriots.<\/p>\n

Jets Avoid Gonzalez Altogether<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Patriots don\u2019t flip-flop their Cornerbacks, preferring to keep them on one side.\u00a0 The Jets put TE Mason Taylor out wide Left against Gonzalez and then put 3 Receivers on the Right side.\u00a0 This forced a mismatch of at least the WR3 against one of our safeties.\u00a0 The WR2 against our Nickel CB Marcus Jones and then our #2 CB Carlton Davis against their WR1.<\/p>\n

New Expanded Feature on Patsfans<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Stats page has been expanded going back to 2021.\u00a0 Ian Logue did a lot of work to get this feature up and running.\u00a0 Check it out here:\u00a0 https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/new-england-patriots\/stats\/games\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Patriots opened as 8.5-point favorites, and then Ja\u2019Marr Chase was suspended for the game.\u00a0 In addition, starting cornerback Cam Taylor-Brit needs Lisfranc surgery and will also be out.\u00a0 Joe Burrow is not expected to be ready for Sunday\u2019s game, and Trey Hendrickson is probably out as well.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":58040,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-63477","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-patriots-news"],"yoast_head":"\nMORSE: Patriots Week 12 Preview: Cincinnati Bengals<\/title>\n<meta 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