Pats Pulpit
The New England Patriots hung on to win a sloppy game against the Bengals in Cincinnati on Sunday. It wasn’t always pretty, and some of the injuries they sustained might come back to hurt them later in the season, but they still managed to keep their win streak alive, and, at least until next week, are the only team in the NFL with 10 wins.
Let’s get into our lessons learned from the 26-20 victory on Sunday.
The Patriots won the game on Sunday, but they lost several players to injury. Two in particular could end up being very troubling: both rookies on the left side of the offensive line, Will Campbell and Jared Wilson, ended up being carted off with leg injuries. Wilson left with an ankle injury on the first series and was quickly declared out, while a visible emotional Campbell left with a knee injury in the third quarter. He wasn’t declared out for a while, but it certainly didn’t look good.
Morgan Moses left as well, but the reason for his brief departure was “only” an illness, so it looks like he should be fine in the long-term. In addition, Khyiris Tonga left with a chest injury that also didn’t look serious, while special teams ace Brenden Schooler was unable to finish because of an ankle issue.
Campbell and Wilson, however, are the most concerning out of the group.
The Patriots will already be without standout defensive tackle Milton Williams for at least the next three games, and now could be in some serious trouble on the offensive line as well. The depth of this team might get tested in the coming weeks, and the likes of Vederian Lowe and Ben Brown better be up to the task if their numbers end up getting called.
Marcus Jones is a baller: It wasn’t always perfect — think: Cincinnati’s fourth-down conversion on the game’s — final drive, but Marcus Jones continues to show he is a true playmaker for the Patriots. He has been just that since getting into the league in 2022, and keeps proving it every week. Against the Bengals, jones read a check-down from Joe Flacco perfectly, and took it back for a score as well as his second career pick-six against Cincinnati. He also had a pass breakup on the final play of the game on defense to win the game. Jones has turned into more than just a playmaker, he’s a Pro Bowl slot corner, and I think you can argue that he should be an All-Pro slot corner. The Patriots extended him this year, and it was money well spent.
Carlton Davis comes up big: Patriots fans have not always been loving what they have been getting from Carlton Davis this year — he’s been called for a bunch of penalties, and has been picked on at times. At the end of Sunday’s game, however, he locked...
