After practicing in full on Wednesday and Thursday, Joe Burrow will not be activated off injured reserve and will miss Sunday’s game against the New England Patriots.
Tee Higgins and other players were giddy about the sight of Burrow practicing this week. However, Zac Taylor’s response is not activating Burrow off injured reserve and starting Joe Flacco.
Does Taylor know this team, at 3-7, doesn’t have the luxury of time on their side? Not to mention, Flacco is dealing with a sprained AC joint, going back four weeks ago.
In addition, the Bengals are facing the hottest team in the NFL, arguably, the New England Patriots. Starting Burrow would have been the spark the Bengals needed, considering Ja’Marr Chase is suspended for this game.
Then again, is it really worth starting Burrow just to try to save Taylor’s job?
With that, let’s take a look at the Patriots, quarterback Drake Maye, four other players to watch, keys to the game, and a score prediction for Sunday.
Quarterback: No. 10, Drake Maye — 6-4, 225 lbs. 2nd Season; North Carolina
Leading up to the start of the 2024 NFL Season, I was a believer in Drake Maye. Watching his North Carolina film, I thought he looked like an NFL quarterback.
Robert Kraft certainly believed in him, surrounding him with incredible infrastructure for his Sophomore season, including head coach Mike Vrabel, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, and a strong free-agent and draft class.
Maye has taken full advantage of what the Patriots have given him. He leads the NFL with a 71.9 completion percentage and 2,836 passing yards, throwing for 20 touchdowns and just five interceptions. Through 11 games, Maye has 250+ passing yards in eight of them and has not thrown for fewer than 200 yards in any of the Patriots’ 11 games this season. Maye also has multiple touchdowns in eight games this season.
The numbers Maye has put up so far in his second season remind me so much of Joe Burrow’s performance in his second season, leading the Bengals to Super Bowl LVI in 2021. Like Maye, Burrow led the NFL in completion percentage in 2021 and had 11 games with 250+ passing yards and 11 games with two+ touchdown passes.
Drake Maye has established himself as an up-and-coming quarterback who is an MVP front-runner and a very easy player to root for, even if you’re not a Patriots fan.
Four Players to Watch on the Patriots
1. No. 32: Running Back, TreVeyon Henderson — 5-10, 202 lbs. Rookie; Ohio State
Henderson may have gotten off to a slow start in his rookie season, but he’s been coming on strong in his last four games with 339 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns. The Patriots have found something with Henderson, and their offense is more versatile as a result. In addition, Henderson will be utilized as a pass-catcher with 26 receptions, 165 yards, and a touchdown so far this season.
2. No. 85: Tight End, Hunter Henry — 6-5, 249 lbs. 10th Season; Arkansas
Considering the Bengals’ inability to cover tight ends, a weakness for years, Henry is worth watching for on Sunday. Henry has 34 receptions for 422 yards and four touchdowns this season, averaging 12.4 yards per reception. With so many holes in the middle of the Bengals’ defense, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Henry frequently running wide open for chunks of yardage to move the chains on Sunday.
3. No. 2: Outside Linebacker, Harold Landry III — 6-2, 252 lbs. 8th Season; Boston College
Bengals fans may remember Landry for being part of the Tennessee Titans’ defense that wrecked Joe Burrow for nine sacks in the 2021 Divisional round of the Playoffs. The Bengals won that game, but Landry and the rest of the Titans’ defensive line feasted all afternoon on the Bengals’ offensive line.
Landry signed with the Patriots in free agency this past offseason, and he has 5.5 sacks and seven tackles for loss with a forced fumble this season. He also has 14 quarterback hits and 37 tackles. If the Bengals’ offensive line, particularly the tackle tandem of Orlando Brown Jr. and Amarius Mims, can’t hold up in pass protection, Landry may be living in the Bengals’ backfield on Sunday afternoon.
4. No. 25: Cornerback, Marcus Jones — 5-8, 188 lbs. 4th Season; Houston
Jones is a playmaker at cornerback. He has two interceptions and nine pass breakups this season, while adding 45 tackles and six tackles for loss. Being able to make plays in the secondary and as a tackler is what makes Jones a versatile cornerback, and he could have a big day with the Bengals playing without Ja’Marr Chase on Sunday. Expect Jones or fellow cornerback Christian Gonzalez to go up against Tee Higgins on Sunday.
It made so much sense in the offseason for the Patriots to hire Mike Vrabel to be their next head coach. They not only made the hire. They nailed it.
Vrabel has reestablished the culture within the Patriots locker room that was the catalyst during their dynasty. Speaking of which, Vrabel was a part of the Patriots’ dynasty’s early days, winning three Super Bowls and catching touchdowns in Super Bowls XXXVIII and XXXIX.
A member of the Patriots All-2000s Team, 50th Anniversary Team, All-Dynasty Team, and Hall of Fame, Vrabel was a Pro Bowler and First-Team All-Pro in 2007. That team went undefeated in the regular season and came within less than a minute of winning Super Bowl XLII and finishing the season a historic 19-0.
Originally a third-round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1997, Vrabel was a two-time All-American at Ohio State and was named to Ohio State Football’s All-Century Team.
It was at Ohio State that Vrabel began his head-coaching career as the Buckeyes’ linebackers coach in 2011. Vrabel’s first NFL coaching job was as the Houston Texans’ linebackers coach from 2014 to 2016.
In Tennessee, where he was the head coach of the Titans for six seasons, Vrabel led the Titans to the 2019 AFC Championship and back-to-back AFC South titles in 2020 and 2021. He was named the 2021 NFL Coach of the Year after leading the Titans to the No. 1 seed in the AFC despite a ravaging of injuries. The Bengals beat the Titans in the Divisional round of the Playoffs.
Offensive Coordinator: Josh McDaniels (1st season of 3rd Stint, 14th season overall) — 49 years old
A member of all six Super Bowl-winning teams with the Patriots, including as personnel assistant in Super Bowl XXXVI and a defensive assistant in Super Bowl XXXVIII, McDaniels is once again working his magic as the Patriots’ offensive coordinator.
McDaniels’s first stint as the Patriots’ offensive coordinator was from 2006 to 2008. At just 31 years old, he was the offensive coordinator for one of the greatest offenses and teams in NFL history, as Tom Brady (50) and Randy Moss (23) set single-season records for touchdown passes and receiving touchdowns.
From 2012 to 2021, McDaniels coordinated a Patriots offense led by Brady, Rob Gronkowski, and Julian Edelman, a trio that led the Patriots to three Super Bowl titles and four Super Bowl berths.
McDaniels attended John Carroll University, where he played quarterback and wide receiver for the Blue Streaks from 1995 to 98. McDaniels was a college teammate of former NFL linebacker London Fletcher, former Patriots director of player personnel Nick Caserio, former assistant quarterbacks coach Jerry Schuplinski, and former director of pro personnel Dave Ziegler.
Defensive Coordinator: Terrell Williams (1st season) — 51 years old
Vrabel’s defensive line coach in all six seasons in Tennessee, Williams came over to the Patriots after one season as the Detroit Lions’ defensive line coach and run game coordinator.
Williams has been coaching defensive line since 1998, with his first NFL job as the then-Oakland Raiders defensive line coach from 2012-2014. He then spent three seasons with the Miami Dolphins from 2015 to 2017.
With the Titans, Williams’ unit ranked fourth in the NFL in yards allowed (10,044). In 2022, the Titans had the best rushing defense in the league, allowing just 76.9 rushing yards per game and a 3.4 yards-per-carry average.
Under Williams’ tutelage, DE Denico Autry became the Titans’ first player to have three consecutive seasons with 8 or more sacks since Jevon Kearse (1999-2001). He also developed DT Jeffrey Simmons to become a two-time All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection while helping DE Jurrell Casey earn his fourth and fifth Pro Bowl honors in 2018 and 2019. In Williams’ first season in Tennessee, the Titans’ defense ranked eighth overall in total defense (333.4 yards per game), third in points allowed (18.9 per game), 10th on third down (36.6 percent), and second in the red zone (44.7 touchdown percentage).
Williams also has college experience, including leading Texas A&M to a Big 12 title in 2010. That defensive line was led by future Pro Football Hall of Famer Von Miller. In 2011, the Aggies led the country with 51 sacks and finished third with eight tackles per game.
As a player at East Carolina, Williams was part of the Pirates’ 1995 team that beat Stanford in the Liberty Bowl.
Special Teams Coordinator: Jeremy Springer (2nd season) — 36 years old
In his first season as special teams coordinator in 2024, Springer led a unit that ranked second in the NFL with a 90.3 grade, per Pro Football Focus. Cornerback Marcus Jones finished second in the NFL with a 14.8-yard punt return average (26 returns for 386 yards).
Safety Brenden Schooler was named First-Team All-Pro as a core special teamer. Kicker Joey Slye and punter Bryce Baringer also set team records in Springer’s first season. Slye set a team record with a 63-yard field goal at San Francisco (9/29/24), the fourth-longest kick in NFL history. Baringer set the highest punting average in a single season in franchise history with a 49.8 punting average.
Before being the Los Angeles Rams’ assistant special teams coach from 2022 to 2023, Springer was a special teams coach for seven seasons at Texas A&M, Arizona, and Marshall. He started his coaching career at UTEP as an assistant in football operations before becoming a graduate assistant.
Springer played collegiately at UTEP from 2007 to 11 as a linebacker and on special teams. He played in 33 games, recording 161 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and one interception. In his freshman year, he earned the Conference USA Academic Medal and was a four-time member of the Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll.
Keys to the Game
1. Stop the run
If the Bengals are going to have any shot at beating this team, they have to stop the Patriots’ running game. A key reason why Maye has been so successful this season is the Patriots’ having a strong running game to work off of. Even though the Patriots rank in the middle of the pack in the NFL with 112.9 rushing yards per game, they still have the ability to impact games by running the football. Considering the Bengals allow a league-worst 160.9 rushing yards per game, the Patriots will likely establish the running game early on Sunday.
2. Limit explosive plays
While the Patriots have 21 drives this season of 10+ plays, they have been few and far between in their eight-game winning streak. With Maye’s ability as a vertical passer, the Patriots have lived on their ability to hit big plays in the passing game and break loose long runs.
For the Bengals, making the Patriots run more plays than they have over their eight-game winning streak will at least increase the chance for a turnover. It’s been since Week 7 that the Bengals have forced a turnover, which, as we have seen, can be huge momentum-changers.
3. Run the ball
Joe Flacco is banged up. The Bengals’ offense must take the pressure off of him by running the football and keeping the defense as fresh as possible.
4. Control the clock
Along with running the ball, the Bengals must control the clock and win the time of possession. The more the Bengals’ defense is on the field, even though the likelihood of a turnover increases, the better chance they allow a big play due to fatigue. This is complimentary football, and the Bengals have to play that.
Score Prediction: Patriots 41 – Bengals 17
It’s pretty simple. Joe Burrow isn’t playing, and I don’t know why. Ja’Marr Chase isn’t playing because he’s suspended. The Bengals’ defense is historically bad. New England has a rapidly ascending quarterback and a running game that’s coming around. This game may get out of hand very quickly.
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