The New England Patriots aren’t facing Joe Burrow, who didn’t return in time for Sunday’s contest.

Burrow practiced this week, but the Cincinnati Bengals didn’t activate him before their Week 12 game at Paycor Stadium. The star quarterback hasn’t played since injuring his toe in Week 2.

That reportedly wasn’t Burrow’s call. NFL insider Jay Glazer said on “Fox NFL Sunday” that Burrow “pushed to play” against the Patriots.

The Bengals opted to “err on the side of caution” since they play the Baltimore Ravens this Thursday. Burrow is aiming to return against the AFC North rival on Thanksgiving.

New...

The New England Patriots lost an important piece to the puzzle on Sunday.

Jared Wilson, who has started 10-of-11 games this season, suffered an ankle injury and was carted off the field during a matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals. Ben Brown was tabbed as the replacement, having already started in the rookie’s place during a Week 4 victory over the Carolina Panthers.

Wilson was on the field for just four plays before suffering the injury, and although he walked off the field under his own power, he was eventually carted from the sideline to the locker room.

The Patriots punted...

Rob Gronkowski believes in the 2025 New England Patriots.

The Patriots will seek their ninth straight win when they play the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. Gronkowski watched his former team improve to 9-2 when he signed a ceremonial contract to retire as a Patriot before their Week 11 victory over the New York Jets.

Gronkowski labeled the Patriots the best team in the AFC on “Fox NFL Sunday” prior to their Week 12 showdown at Cincinnati. The legendary tight end likes how they rebounded from a 1-2 start behind his former teammate, head coach Mike Vrabel.

“There’s a lot of...

Back from their mini-bye, the 9-2 New England Patriots head out to Cincinnati for a matchup against the 3-7 Bengals. In the midst of nine straight victories, New England will look to make it 10 in a row to match their longest winning streak since 2015.

The Patriots offense will have reinforcements in order to do so, as Kayshon Boutte and Rhamondre Stevenson return from injury to help Drake Maye against a historically bad Bengals defense. Cincinnati, meanwhile, will be without star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase while quarterback Joe Burrow was not activated off injured reserve despite practicing this week....

The New England Patriots will make some changes during to their matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

Rhamondre Stevenson is one of several starters slated to make their return to the lineup, with Kayshon Boutte, Christian Elliss and Austin Hooper all joining him — sparking some notable changes in the way their teammates will be deployed.

Boutte’s return will undoubtedly mean less opportunities for rookie Kyle Williams. Elliss will slide right into the role being vacated by Jahlani Tavai. Hooper’s reinsertion into the lineup postponed the debut of rookie CJ Dippre.

Stevenson’s likely won’t have too much of an...

Mike Vrabel has transformed the New England Patriots’ defense into a formidable unit. A long-running AFC dynasty allegedly wants no part of him.

Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Patrick Mahomes have told people around the league, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, that they “truly hate” opposing two coaches. The iconic duo doesn’t like facing Vrabel and their Week 12 opponent, Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo.

The Chiefs split their four games against the Tennessee Titans during Vrabel’s tenure as head coach. Kansas City advanced to Super Bowl LIV with a 35-24 win over Tennessee...

ESPN’s Mike Reiss delivered his “quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and the NFL” on Sunday morning, hours ahead of the team’s Week 12 road game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Patriots insider noted that if the Patriots defeat the Bengals for their ninth straight victory, they’d be making franchise history, in a way.

“If the Patriots beat the Bengals for their ninth win in a row, it would mark the longest New England winning streak ever outside of the Bill Belichick/Tom Brady era. Vrabel’s 2025 Patriots are tied with Bill Parcells’ 1994 Patriots for the longest...

The New England Patriots are in good shape entering their Week 12 matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Rhamondre Stevenson (toe), Austin Hooper (concussion), Kayshon Boutte (hamstring) and Christian Elliss (hip) are all slated to make their returns after previously missing time, with the former bouncing back after a three-game absence and the latter two returning after missing a pair, respectively.

Jahlani Tavai will miss the contest for personal reasons, having been ruled out earlier in the week. CJ Dippre and Efton Chism III will be healthy scratches, with the former having just been signed to the active roster this week....

The New England Patriots have gotten some high-quality contributions from several members of their 2025 rookie class so far this season, but Kyle Williams has not consistently been among them. The 69th overall selection in this year’s draft has caught just three of 11 targets for 92 yards and a touchdown.

There is still time to fix his lack of production and inability to get on the same page as quarterback Drake Maye — rookie development is never following a fixed scheduled — but the slow start so far still has fans worried. Too fresh are the memories of Ja’Lynn...

One analyst expects the New England Patriots to run wild on the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 12.

NFL.com’s Matt Okada set a high bar for New England with an incredibly bold prediction before Sunday’s game at Paycor Stadium. The fantasy football content programmer picked the Patriots to set a franchise record on the ground.

“In the Super Bowl era, there have only been two games in which a team rushed for 400-plus yards,” Okada wrote. “Both involved the Cincinnati Bengals — the Broncos did it against the Bengals in Week 8 of the 2000 season, and the Bengals did it...

The New England Patriots found their franchise quarterback in Drake Maye. A division rival will hope to do the same soon.

Maye has guided the Patriots to a 9-2 start in an MVP-caliber season. The 23-year-old has taken a massive second-year leap after the Patriots went 4-13 last year.

While the Patriots are rolling behind Maye and Mike Vrabel, the New York Jets haven’t benefited from changing their quarterback and head coach. They’re 2-8 behind Aaron Glenn, whose franchise could target a signal-caller early in next year’s draft.

Earlier this week, via SNY, Glenn was asked if he’d rather build...

The New England Patriots have been without Rhamondre Stevenson for the least three games, but the veteran running back is expected to return against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

“(Patriots) RB Rhamondre Stevenson, who has not played since late October because of a toe injury, is expected to go Sunday, source said,” NFL insider Ian Rapoport wrote on X on Saturday night.

Stevenson’s absence has paved the way for rookie second-round pick TreVeyon Henderson to shine. Henderson has started the last three games, scoring five total touchdowns and recording over 300 total yards. However, with Stevenson returning, his workload figures...