GAME: New England at Cincinnati
WHEN: Sunday, 4:15 p.m.
BROADCAST: CBS with Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
SB Nation: Pats Pulpit
OUT: This will be updated through gametime, so keep checking:
- Rich Braham (Knee)
- Dexter Jackson (Ankle)
- Tab Perry (Hip)
- CHRIS HENRY
- Rashad Jeanty
- A.J. Nicholson
- Reggie McNeal
You can see the week leading up to today here
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6:54: Pats score another TD. I know we have a good offense and all, but I'm starting to think a 25-point deficit with 7:55 left in the game might be out of reach. I've got to run fellas and appreciate those that may have come online. I apologize for the previous outages on the website.
6:49: Palmer drops back and fumbles again. "Game over".
6:44: Well, how about that. After getting the ball back down only 11, Palmer over throws out of bounds. What do most teams do when on first down they throw incomplete? Rudi runs up the middle for three. On third down and seven, Palmer drops back and Jarvis Green slaps the ball and Palmer fumbles. Then Corey Dillon goes 5, 7, 0, 0 setting up a third down and inches at the goal-line. Brady drops back and throws a rocket for incomplete. On fourth down, Brady hands off to Dillon for the touchdown. Bengals down 31-13.
6:34: Good job by the Bengals defense to prevent a touchdown (how sad is it that we resort to that?!). After the Pats reached the Bengals 9-yard line, Dillon ran for three and Brady threw two incompletes. Pats up 24-13.
6:32: Maroney, on 12 carries, has 101 yards. Yikes.
6:29: Bengals defense is officially getting eaten up alive. The Pats started on their own six-yard line. Five plays (three Maroney runs, two Brady passes) later; the Pats are already on the Bengals 20-yard line.
6:25: On the first play, T.J. caught a 33-yard pass. It was nice. TJ, was nearly blown up but showed amazing contact balance. After that, Rudi ran for 8-yards. On the next play, Colvin nearly picked off a quick pass to Chad. On third and 2, Palmer threw a pass that couldn't quite connect with TJ. The Bengals then threatened to run a 4th down offensive play. It was not to be, they took a delay of game (what the hell?) and TJ walks off the field with his arms in the air. Punt.
6:18: After the gift call from the ref to the Pats, Maroney ran for 25-yards and the touchdown. Those that missed tackles on that play include (but not limited to), Caleb Miller, Thornton, James, KK, and Williams. Nice job D.
Personally, I'm not so sure about that personal foul call on Kevin K. It was a nasty hit, no doubt. But I've seen that hit one billion times before and never get called. These refs -- generalizing the NFL -- are horrible.
6:12: This Bengals defense can NOT pass rush. On 3rd and 10, Brady drops back for about five-six seconds looking. He had enough time for Gabriel (who I hate now) to run a few yards past the first down marker and cut in for another 10-yards to find the hole in the zone.
6:05: Finally. Bengals score a touchdown. Carson Palmer completed a 32 yard pass on third down to TJ -- Palmer was dropped on the pass attempt. After a six-yard run by Rudi, Stacey Andrews comes in and Palmer completes a 9-yard pass to Chad -- Palmer was dropped hard on the pass attempt. On the next play, Palmer took the snap and quickly passed to his left. Chad gained nine-yards on the play. Two yards out, Rudi runs up the middle for a two-yard touchdown. Bengals are only down one point, 14-13. The offense was much more in synch.
5:58: On 2nd and 16 (after a six-yard drop by Justin Smith on Maroney), Brady passed to Graham for five yards. The key to this is M.Williams open field tackle. It was big because it sets up a 3rd and 11 which fell incomplete. New England missed the 48 yard attempted field goal. Good job by Smith and Williams to stall this drive.
5:48: Chad Johnson should be back, but he has a "bruised shoulder".
5:43:
- Bengals are 1-7 on third downs.
- They are losing the Time of Possession battle by ten seconds.
5:41: A couple of notes. On the Bengals first two drives, they called 20 plays. On the next four possessions, the Bengals called 15 plays. Some on the radio network are saying the Bengals had three straight three-and-outs. That's not true. They've only had two straight -- the phantom third three and out, Rudi ran 13-yard on the first play. After that run, the Bengals THEN ran three plays and punted. Keep up guys. The funniest little bit was the Gamebook that said Willie Anderson caught an 11-yard pass during the Bengals 1:54 minute drill. It was Kelly Washington.
5:36: Thank goodness it's half-time. The Bengals have zero energy and look very uninspired.
5:34: Chad Johnson was helped to the locker-room before half-time was up. He fell on the ball on the second and ten where the booth never stopped the play even though it looked like he caught the pass that was rule incomplete. Once Johnson landed on the football out of bounds, the ball THEN snaked out. I suppose when Chad landed on the ball it either knocked the wind out or he re-injured that shoulder.
5:33: After Palmer completed an 11-yard pass (Washington) and 15-yard pass (Chad), Palmer threw an incomplete to T.J. (where?s the pass interference?), an incomplete to Chad (where the hell is the booth replay within two minutes?) and a three-yard pass to Tony Stewart (Stewart??).
5:28: Patriots score a touchdown. On the play, Tory James initially took Gabriel but then left him in zone (I guess). KK, it looks like, thought it was man and stayed on Troy Brown who hovered around five yards from the LOS. Gabriel just broke free and hauled down the 25-yard pass. Pats leading 14-6.
5:23: On Kevin Faulk's 43-yard punt return, Kelly Washington was the first down the field. As he was one-on-one on Faulk, Washington kinda looked, well, out of place. He stood there -- maybe anticipating a move -- and Faulk took off. The rest of the punt team was blocked until Jones (#44) took Faulk down at the Cincinnati 42. Just awful. Two minute warning
5:20: While Rudi Johnson gained 13-yards on the first play of their fifth possession; they went three more plays and punted.
5:16: Wow. After Gabriel caught the pass, Tory James stripped the ball and it should have been called a fumble. Rather it's called incomplete and after much discussion, "Cincinnati choose not to challenge the play." Dillon ran for five up the middle and Brady, on third and five, overthrew Watson. Pats punt.
5:11: Another three and out. After Palmer dumps off a 6-yard pass to Jeremi Johnson in the flats (right-side), he over-throws Reggie Kelly and Chad Johnson dropped a barely tipped pass. I understand it's a tipped pass and all, but it was still in Chad's hands. Bengals commit their second straight three-and-out.
5:07: How to kill a drive before it starts: take the kickoff three yards deep to the 18 and commit a block in the back (#87). Not only could we have started at the 20, but the above puts us at the 9.
5:03: New England scored a touchdown. The Bengals interior rush defense looks real good. But when they (NE) are hitting the parameter, they are turning the corner. Maroney's 11-yard touchdown run went outside to the left. NE leads 7-6.
4:56: Well, after the interception, the Bengals ran three straight times and punted. Interesting.
4:50: Interception! On third down and nine, Brady passed a little high to Gabriel. Gabriel went up and tipped the ball in the air. Tory James, out of no-where, comes from behind and snags the football. Nice pick. End of the first quarter.
4:43: Palmer had some nice passes at the start of the second drive. However, once again, a penalty puts the Bengals back to a long third down conversion. While the first was completed with a 13-yard pass to T.J., Palmer just threw this one way out of bounds intended for Palmer. The good news, other than staying at a Holiday Inn Express last night, is Shayne Graham converted a 45-yard field goal. He bombed that thing. Probably make it by another five to ten yards. This guy has got a reinvigorated leg. Bengals lead 6-0. First two Bengals drives are 12 plays (58 yards) and eight plays (47 yards).
4:35: Great play by Madieu Williams to knock out the pass to Watson on third down. Better play by the New England?s Spann for Fair Catch Interference. Rather than being on our own 11, the Pats let us start on our own 26. Thanks bro.
4:28: After Rudi ran for 11-yards, the Bengals drive stalled. Palmer was forced out of the pocket on first and rolled out to the right. Pass incomplete to Chad. On second down, Palmer tossed to Tony Stewart for seven. On third down, Palmer dropped back and threw way past the end-zone with Chatman in the area (loosely said). Field goal and the Bengals take the lead 3-0
4:24: The offensive line is looking good. Palmer's five pass attempts were under limited, if none, pressure. However, one unconnected thought after the Bengals called a timeout preventing a delay of game penalty, Palmer lets the clock run down a little close. He's already been called for one delay of game and had six last season.
4:20: Nice start by the Bengals offense. The team has recorded two first downs and Palmer completed his first four passes before throwing the pass away on first down. Nice coverage. Zero pressure.
4:14: Bengals wearing black on white and will be receiving to start the game.