Patriots Vs. Bengals Live: Analysis, Takeaways, Highlights From Week 15 Matchup
8 a.m. ET: Good morning from Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, where the 10-3 New England Patriots are preparing to take on the 1-12 Bengals.
With just three games remaining in the 2019 regular season, the Patriots desperately need a bounce-back performance against a Cincy team that, on paper, is clearly overmatched. New England has lost two in a row and three of its last five after racing out to an 8-0 start.
The Patriots ruled defensive lineman Byron Cowart out for this game as he continues to recover from a concussion. The other six players listed as questionable — including wide receiver Julian Edelman (knee/shoulder) and center Ted Karras (knee) all made the trip to Cincinnati. Inactives for both teams will be announced at 11:30 a.m. ET.
The dominant storyline this week involved a member of the Patriots’ production crew illegally recording the Bengals’ sideline from the press box during last Sunday’s game in Cleveland. The Patriots admitted the staffer violated NFL rules but said the infraction was unintentional — a simple, honest mistake.
It’ll be interesting to see what impact, if any, this controversy has on today’s game. Couple it with the Bengals’ overall lack of on-field talent, and this has the makings of a Patriots rout.
Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET. Keep it locked here throughout the morning for full pregame coverage.