The run that stood out the most from this perspective came just before the two-minute warning, when the Patriots faced a 2nd-and-5. New England blocked a duo, but the Bengals’ run blitzed and brought two defenders into the backfield. Stevenson made a superb jump cut to evade both defenders in the backfield, then leapt right for a nine-yard gain. Three players later, the Patriots were in victory formation.
After the game, several players confirmed that Stevenson made a case to AVP that the Patriots should run downhill more. The Patriots managed to run downhill using power and duo-blocking schemes. It obviously worked, as Stevenson attacked the Bengals DBs on the edge.
After granting him a four-year contract extension in June, Stevenson showed Sunday why the Patriots are investing in his future as their premier running back.
2. Patriots defense shuts down Bengals QB Joe Burrow in surprise win
In the 2022 season, the Patriots were just one fumble late in the fourth quarter away from beating those same Bengals in a Week 16 game at Gillette Stadium.
Unfortunately, the game didn’t go as well for the Patriots. The defensive formula was roughly the same this time, however. The Patriots forced Bengals star QB Joe Burrow to go the long way, playing a mix of different coverages but relying more on their zone structures to limit big plays. The Patriots defense limited Burrow to 167 passing yards on 29 attempts. Burrow didn’t make his first explosive pass until the second half, and he averaged a subpar 5.6 air yards per attempt. Heck, Cincy didn’t get a first down until midway through the second quarter.
For the first time under new DC DeMarcus Covington, the Patriots defense was in midseason form – they were outstanding on Sunday.
3. Second-year CB Christian Gonzalez impressively outshines star WR Ja’Marr Chase
During training camp, one topic became increasingly louder over the summer: Gonzalez’s inconsistency. While it was never a cause for panic, Gonzalez allowed more completions in practice than one would expect from a talented cornerback. That led to some outside discussion about Gonzalez, who won Rookie of the Month before suffering a season-ending injury and potentially regressing in his second year.
“They were worried, weren’t they,” Gonzalez told Patriots.com after the game. “You hear it, but you don’t pay attention to it.”
On Sunday, Gonzalez helped limit Bengals star Ja’Marr Chase to six catches for 62 yards. Chase’s longest catch came against a zone structure where Gonzalez was not the primary defender in coverage. According to Gonzalez, the plan was for him to shadow Chase, with the 2023 first-round pick following Chase throughout the formation.
After all the summer talk that Gonzalez wasn’t at his best, the second-year cornerback was able to hold his own in the Patriots’ win over Chase. If the Patriots get that kind of performance from Gonzalez, the defense will be at its best with a true No. 1 cornerback.
4. Patriots QB Jacoby Brissett does his job and leads the Patriots to victory
As mentioned, the Patriots need to improve their passing attack to continue winning, but Brissett deserves credit for his game management on Sunday.
While the passing stats aren’t eye-catching, Brissett added 0.05 expected points per dropback, didn’t lose the ball, and handled pressure well in the pocket. Brissett’s ability to beat the blitz with decisive decisions when he was “hot” helped the Pats offense on multiple occasions, while the veteran QB1 also picked up three first downs with 32 rushing yards.
