NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (10-3) at CINCINNATI (1-12)
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, CBS
OPENING LINE - Patriots by 10½
RECORD VS. SPREAD - Patriots 7-6; Bengals 5-7-1
SERIES RECORD - Patriots lead 16-9
LAST MEETING - Patriots beat Bengals 35-17, Oct. 16, 2016
LAST WEEK - Patriots lost to Chiefs 23-16; Bengals lost to Browns 27-19
AP PRO32 RANKING - Patriots No. 8, Bengals No. 32
PATRIOTS OFFENSE - OVERALL (15), RUSH (23), PASS (9).
PATRIOTS DEFENSE - OVERALL (1), RUSH (4), PASS (2).
BENGALS OFFENSE - OVERALL (26), RUSH (28), PASS (17).
BENGALS DEFENSE - OVERALL (31), RUSH (32), PASS (19).
STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES - Patriots clinch playoff berth with win or tie. … Would extend their NFL record to 11 consecutive playoff berths. It would also mark 21st 11-win season in team history and extend NFL record to 10 consecutive seasons with at least 11 wins. … New England plays final road game of regular season before finishing at home vs Bills and Dolphins. … Patriots have won six of last seven meetings with Bengals. … QB Tom Brady is 6-1 vs. Bengals. His lone loss was 13-6 at Cincinnati in 2013 when his streak of 52 straight games with TD pass was snapped, second-longest string in NFL history. … Patriots have blocked four punts in 2019, setting franchise record for season. It is most blocks since Philadelphia Eagles blocked four punts in 2014. … Patriots rank 17th in NFL in third-down conversion percentage (37.4%). Are also scoring on 48% of their red-zone trips, which ranks 27th in league. … Patriots defense leads league with 21 INTs and is sixth in league with 41 sacks. … Patriots have allowed league-low 15 total TDs (six rushing, nine passing). Since NFL went to 16-game schedule, 19 defenses have given up 20 or fewer TDs in full season. … Patriots holding opponents to NFL-low 36 of 159 on third down. Fewest third-down conversions allowed in 16-game season are 49 by 1991 New Orleans Saints. … Brady needs one passing TD for his 17th season with 20 or more, which would surpass Peyton Manning for most all time. … Brady needs four TD passes to pass Manning (539) for most career regular-season TD passes. Saints QB Drew Brees is second with 537 (New Orleans hosts Indianapolis Monday night). … Brady has completed 74.3% of throws for 668 yards, five TDs and no INTs (127.6 rating) in past two games vs. Bengals. … WR Julian Edelman needs 97 yards receiving to set single-season career high (had 1,106 in 2016). … S Devin McCourty is tied for NFL lead with five INTs. … Bengals only team in NFL with one win. They’ve lost 14 of 15 and 19 of 21 over last two seasons. Bengals have clinched second straight last-place finish in AFC North, first time they’ve finished at bottom in consecutive seasons since 2001-02. … Bengals haven’t scored TD on an opening drive all season, managing only two field goals. … RB Joe Mixon had career-high 146 yards rushing in loss to Browns. … QB Andy Dalton makes third start since returning from three-week benching. Dalton is 44 of 75 (59%) for 505 yards with TD, pick-6 in last two starts. Dalton 1-2 career vs Patriots with three TDs, one INT and 100.2 passer rating. … Fantasy tip: Mixon will get ball a lot, both as runner and receiver, in Bengals’ limited offense.
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