Even when the New England Patriots get an early Christmas current, they’re getting lumped in with the coal lately. Or what Patriots coach Invoice Belichick known as “A disappointing end.”
With Cincinnati trailing the Bengals by twenty-two factors and nowhere to go on Saturday, New England got here off the mat and when quarterback Mack Jones’ lengthy go bounced off Scotty Washington’s fingers and into the fingers of vast receiver Jacoby Myers, 48. The Patriots reduce it to 4 factors with 6:02 left within the sport.
However New England’s subsequent possession resulted in a fumble misplaced by Ramondre Stevens on first-and-goal on the Cincinnati 5-yard line with 59 seconds to play because the Bengals held on for a 22-18 victory.
“To start with, in all probability nobody might imagine that we are going to come again with 22 factors. Jones mentioned. “However we fought. We’re proper there. You rating a objective and it is a utterly totally different sport. It’s a troublesome scenario. Simply have to carry out higher. It is as much as me to do issues higher.”
A discipline objective wasn’t an possibility within the closing moments, as New England quarterback Nick Faulk missed each additional level makes an attempt and Jones threw incomplete on a 2-point conversion try after a Patriots landing.
On New England’s first possession of the third quarter, Jones accomplished 6-of-11 passes for 38 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions, and the Patriots did not fumble the soccer in Cincinnati’s again finish all sport. By that time, a vocal part of the Gillette Stadium crowd was clamoring for backup quarterback Bailey Zapp.
The remainder of the sport, the previous Alabama All-American went 15-of-22 for 202 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions.
Former Enterprise Excessive Faculty and Troy standout Marcus Jones sparked the Patriots’ comeback when he beat Cincinnati quarterback Joe Barrow and ran 69 yards for a landing with 3:51 left within the third quarter.
New England’s offense scored touchdowns on its subsequent two possessions.
On an 11-play, 77-yard drive, Mack Jones went for all however 4 yards, overcame considered one of 4 Cincinnati drives and capped the drive with a 5-yard landing go to Kendrick Bourne. Bourne had six receptions for 100 yards and one TD Saturday after getting into the sport with 24 receptions for 273 yards and no touchdowns in 13 video games this season.
Jones’ financial institution kick got here on third-and-29 after he went left and proper to fireplace Washington, who was enjoying in his first NFL sport and was on the sphere as a New England tight finish. Hunter Henry and Jonu Smith ended up getting damage in the course of the sport.
“That is an instance of competitors, is not it?” Jones mentioned. “Scott is leaping up, making an attempt to make a play. Then Jakob is ready there. And that play’s offensive line, while you have a look at it, has completed an excellent job of competing. Go round this fashion, go round in order that the blocks are thrown left and proper. Find it irresistible for these guys.
“On the finish of the day, it was simply missing in different conditions. We’ve to start out sooner and possibly the sport is a little bit totally different. Actually upset. “
The Patriots had an opportunity to win when Marcus Jones recovered a Cincinnati fumble on the Bengals’ 43-yard line with 3:12 left within the sport.
After Mack Jones and Marcus Jones, nonetheless on offense, drove to the Cincinnati 16 for a 15-yard achieve, the quarterback did not get an opportunity to throw for the top zone as he handed Stevenson 4 straight snaps. to the pen.
“We didn’t hand over. we fought onerous” Jones mentioned. “On the finish of the day, we have been in a position to get extra factors. The ball was shifting a little bit bit, however we simply wish to capitalize and get extra factors. He is taking place as a quarterback. Tremendous disappointing, however we even have to take a look at lots of issues and notice that we have now fighters on this crew. It is onerous to say that in a loss. , however we do. We’ve fighters on this crew. I feel everybody on our offense and protection and particular groups fought to the top.
With 4 losses of their final 5 video games, the Patriots’ postseason hopes are rapidly fading.
With two wild-card spots open within the AFC playoff discipline, the Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Chargers might be in these spots with a two-game lead and two video games to play, relying on what occurs in Week 16. Miami performs inexperienced. Bay Packers on Sunday, and Los Angeles performs the Indianapolis Colts on Monday evening. They’ve an 8-6 document getting into these video games.
New England fell to 7-8, the identical document because the Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets and Las Vegas Raiders or Pittsburgh Steelers. The Raiders and Steelers play Sunday evening and every has a 6-8 document.
New England hosts the Dolphins on New 12 months’s Day and visits the Buffalo Payments on Jan. 8 to shut out the common season.
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Mark Inabinet is a sports activities reporter for Alabama Media Group. Observe him on Twitter @AMarkG1.