The Cincinnati Bengals made it far more interesting against the New England Patriots than many might have expected. But interesting doesn’t count for points on the scoreboard, and it definitely doesn’t count in the win column.
After a sleepy start by the Patriots, they responded with just enough scoring to win 26-20 on Nov. 23 at Paycor Stadium. Patriots kicker Andy Borregales was 4-for-4 on field goal tries and responsible for 14 points. His 52-yarder with 1:51 to play forced the Bengals to go for a touchdown as opposed to a game-tying field goal. Cincinnati couldn’t deliver the touchdown in the closing seconds.
The Bengals took a 10-0 lead in the first half but fell behind on Patriots scores in the second quarter that were separated by less than two minutes.
New England improved to 10-2, including 6-0 on the road. New England head coach Mike Vrabel’s Patriots have won nine games in a row.
The Bengals dropped to 3-8. They are 2-4 at Paycor Stadium and return to the road on Thanksgiving Night to face the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.
“We don’t appreciate losing,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said. “It’s an awful feeling, sick. But our guys, they just keep showing up. They keep doing a great job during the course of the week. They’ve been practicing their tails off. They’ve giving everything they can on the field. We just came up short.”
Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco’s day (19-for-37, 183 yards) was blighted by a pick-six interception for the second week in a row. Flacco was without the suspended Ja’Marr Chase, his top receiving target, and lost receiver Tee Higgins to a concussion late in regulation.
Around the 5:20 mark in the fourth quarter, Flacco himself exited the game for one play due to an what he said afterward was a dislocated finger on his throwing hand. Flacco returned to finish the drive with a score.
Perhaps not surprisingly, the Bengals failed to produce an offensive touchdown for more than 55 minutes of game time. When a touchdown finally arrived, it cut the Patriots’ lead to 23-20 via a Mitch Tinsley 17-yard catch from Flacco at the 4:40 mark in the fourth quarter.
New England quarterback Drake Maye, an MVP contender, went 22-for-35 for 294 yards and a touchdown, but the Bengals’ defense prevented the Patriots from running away with the game and made multiple red zone stops in the second half.
The Patriots spotted the Bengals a 10-0 lead to begin the game. Bengals kicked Evan McPherson drilled a 54-yard field goal on Cincinnati’s first drive.
Early in the second quarter, Bengals safety Geno Stone intercepted Maye when he overthrew tight end Hunter Henry. Stone returned the ball 33 yards for a touchdown at the 14:19 mark of the second quarter.
The turnover was Cincinnati’s first since its Oct. 16 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Paycor Stadium − a drought of more than three games without a defensive takeaway.
“We were in a man defense and just went empty, and I was reading the quarterback, really,” Stone said. “I saw the free runner go over the the top and he overthrew it, and I just took it from there.”
New England responded immediately after Stone’s pick-six interception with nine-play, 70-yard drive and a Henry receiving touchdown.
The Patriots would then take the lead on the Bengals’ next possession when Marcus Jones intercepted Flacco and danced into the end zone. New England led 14-10.
The teams would swap field goals prior to halftime, with McPherson drilling a franchise-record 63-yard field goal on the final play of the first half to cut the Bengals’ deficit to 17-13.
“I’ve always thought about (how) it would be cool to get one from the other side of the field one day,” McPherson said. “I’m just blessed to be put in that situation. The coaches trust me to go out there and make it, and I’m just glad that they have that trust in me.”
Check out our live-blog posts from throughout the game:
Patriots hang on to beat Bengals, 26-20
The Bengals fell short as they sought a would-be go-ahead touchdown and point-after conversion. Cincinnati dropped to 3-8 while New England improved to 10-2.
Patriots score vs. Bengals | Another New England field goal pads its lead
Patriots 26, Bengals 20 − 1:51, fourth quarter
Patriots kicked Andy Borregales might end up being the player of this game. He’s certainly the prolific scorer of the contest as he just netted a 52-yard field goal, marking his fourth conversion on four attempts. He’s responsible for 14 points today including point-after conversions.
Bengals score vs. Patriots | Cincinnati isn’t going quietly
Patriots 23, Bengals 20 − 4:40, fourth quarter
Joe Flacco was knocked out of the game for one play due to an apparent injury but returned and eventually completed a 17-yard pass to Mitch Tinsley.
Also of note: Tee Higgins was carted off the field prior to the Bengals’ scoring play. Later, Higgins was ruled out for the remainder of the game.
Patriots score vs. Bengals | Cincinnati trails by two scores with time running out
Patriots 23, Bengals 13 − 5:55, fourth quarter
The Bengals once again kept the Patriots out of the end zone but another New England field goal from Andy Borregales, this one from 19 yards out, was key as it put the Patriots ahead by two scores.
Patriots score vs. Bengals | Patriots ahead by seven
Patriots 20, Bengals 13 − 1:04, third quarter
Andy Borregales notched his second field goal of the day. This one put the the visitors ahead by a touchdown, plus a point-after conversion.
The Bengals stop the Patriots in the red zone (nine times)
Patriots 17, Bengals 13 − 7:48, third quarter
The Patriots used some self-inflicted wounds by the Bengals to earn nine plays from inside the Cincinnati 5-yard line, but they couldn’t score on any of them. The Bengals are still down by four points but are alive and kicking in this game. The defense really tightened up when they backed themselves up against their own end zone.
Initially, the Patriots were buried deep in their own territory on a 3rd-and-11 but played the passing attempt so poorly that Drake Maye managed to complete a 35-yard pass up near midfield to Kayshon Boutte.
Later, on 4th-and-goal, Dax Hill was flagged for pass interference, negating an initial turnover on downs. The next set of downs produced the goal line stand Cincinnati needed, and it counted.
Bengals score vs. Patriots | McPherson nails a record 63-yard field goal
Patriots 17, Bengals 13 − Final play of the first half
Evan McPherson set a franchise record for the longest field goal when he drilled his kick on the final play of the first half from 63 yards. And the Bengals will get the ball to begin the second half.
Patriots score vs. Bengals | New England pads its lead before half
Patriots 17, Bengals 10 − 00:28, second quarter
Andy Borregales nailed a 41-yard field goal for the Patriots.
Patriots score vs. Bengals | Joe Flacco throws another pick-six
Patriots 14, Bengals 10 − 7:42, second quarter
Bengals starting quarterback Joe Flacco has thrown a pick-six interception for the second week in a row. Marcus Jones jumped the route on the pass intended for Tahj Brooks. He danced backward into the end zone, and the Patriots have erased their 10-0 deficit in a matter of minutes.
Patriots score vs. Bengals | Drake Maye puts the Pats on the scoreboard
Bengals 10, Patriots 7 − 9:36, second quarter
The Geno Stone pick-six might have been the wakeup call New England needed because they responded with a nine-play, 70-yard drive and a Hunter Henry touchdown. MVP candidate Drake Maye avoided Cincinnati pressure and found Henry without a defender anywhere near him. He was able to turn up field and waltz 28 yards into the end zone.
Bengals score vs. Patriots | Geno Stone picks off Drake Maye
Bengals 10, Patriots 0 − 14:19, second quarter
On 2nd-and-four from the New England 16-yard line, Drake Maye uncorked a throw that just didn’t look good coming out of his hand. He skied the toss down the seam intended for Hunter Henry. Geno Stone, the much-criticized safety, picked the ball off and returned it 33 yards for the touchdown. Evan McPherson’s point-after attempt was successful.
New England looks sleepy and the Bengals look well-prepared and energized in every facet.
Bengals score vs. Patriots | McPherson fires Cincinnati in front
Bengals 3, Patriots 0 − 6:36, first quarter
The Bengals went 46 yards on 11 plays on their first possession of the day, capping the solid drive with a 54-yard Evan McPherson field goal. So far this year, McPherson’s only misses have been circus kicks from around or on the midfield logo. He also missed a long-distance kick against the Bears while kicking into a stiff wind.
Cincinnati defense begins the day with a stop
The Bengals defense got off the field to start the day, preventing the Patriots from becoming what would have been the latest opponent to score on their first possession. The Pats held the ball for 3:09 after beginning their drive from their own 24-yard line, moving the ball just 17 yards − and that was after narrowly missing a third-down stop that would have forced a three-and-out.
Bengals win the coin toss, defer to second half
Bengals kicker Evan McPherson will kick to New England to begin this afternoon’s game. Cincinnati will get the opening kickoff of the second half.
Bengals vs. Patriots live score updates and highlights
It’s the Bengals vs. Patriots in Week 12 from Paycor Stadium. New England is favored by 7 points, according to BetMGM and the over/under point total is 50.5. Follow along to see if Cincinnati (3-7) can beat New England (9-2) to stay within reach of the AFC North lead.
Bengals inactives vs. Patriots
The following players are inactive for the Bengals:
QB Sean Clifford (Emergency Third QB)HB Samaje PerineWR Jermaine BurtonTE Cam GrandyDE Trey HendricksonDE Cam Sample
Is Ja’Marr Chase playing today?
Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase is suspended for today’s game against the Patriots. It’s the sixth game he’s missed in his NFL career. Chase was picked No. 5 overall by the Bengals in the 2021 NFL draft.
When do the Bengals play today?
The Bengals vs. Patriots Week 12 game is scheduled for a 1 p.m. kickoff from Paycor Stadium.
Bengals QB today
Joe Flacco will be the starting quarterback for the Bengals against the Patriots. Flacco will be starting his sixth game for Cincinnati after being acquired in a trade from the Cleveland Browns.
Is Joe Burrow playing today?
No, Burrow is still recovering from the Grade 3 turf toe injury suffered in the Week 2 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Burrow was a full participant in practice this week, but has not been activated to the 53-man roster.
How to watch Bengals vs. Patriots
The Bengals vs. Patriots Week 12 game will be broadcast on CBS/Local 12 (WKRC-TV.
Stream Bengals vs. Patriots
Bengals 2025 football schedule
Week 1: Sept. 7, Bengals 17, Cleveland Browns 16 (1-0)Week 2: Sept. 14, Bengals 31, Jacksonville Jaguars 17 (2-0)Week 3: Sept. 21, Bengals 10, Minnesota Vikings 48 (2-1)Week 4: Sept. 29, Bengals 3, Denver Broncos 28 (2-2)Week 5: Oct. 5, Bengals 24, Detroit Lions 37 (2-3)Week 6: Oct. 12, Bengals 18, Green Bay Packers 27 (2-4)Week 7: Oct. 16, Bengals 33, Pittsburgh Steelers 31 (3-4)Week 8: Oct. 27, Bengals38, New York Jets 39 (3-5)Week 9: Nov. 2, Bengals 42, Chicago Bears 47 (3-6)Week 10: Bye weekWeek 11: Nov. 16, Bengals 12, Pittsburgh Steelers 34 (3-7)Week 12: Nov. 23, Bengals vs. New England Patriots 1 p.m. ETWeek 13: Nov. 27, Bengals at Baltimore Ravens 8:20 p.m. ET | *Thanksigving game on NBCWeek 14: Dec. 7, Bengals at Buffalo Bills 1 p.m. ETWeek 15: Dec. 14, Bengals vs. Baltimore Ravens 1 p.m. ETWeek 16: Dec. 21, Bengals at Miami Dolphins 8:20 p.m. ET | * Sunday Night Football on NBCWeek 17: Bengals vs. Arizona Cardinals, Date and network TBDWeek 18: Bengals vs. Cleveland Browns, Date and network TBDThe final two weeks of the season don’t have game times because the NFL reserves the right to flex games into primetime spots based on playoff scenarios.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Bengals comeback attempt falls short in loss to Patriots | Replay
Reporting by Jason Hoffman, Dave Clark, Kyle Brown and Pat Brennan, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
