New England Patriots vs Bengals Match Player Stats: Breaking Down a Wild Week 12 Battle
Ten wins already, and it almost slipped away in Cincinnati. The New England Patriots vs Bengals match player stats from their November 23 clash tell the story of a game nobody controlled cleanly — two pick-sixes, a franchise-record kick, and an offensive line falling apart in real time. If you want the real numbers behind the 26-20 final, not just the highlight reel, here’s the breakdown.
Key Takeaways Box
Quick-Hit Stats
- Drake Maye threw for 294 yards and crossed 3,000 passing yards for the season despite losing two starting offensive linemen to injury mid-game.
- Hunter Henry posted a career-high 115 receiving yards on seven catches, becoming the unexpected focal point of New England’s passing attack.
- Chase Brown carried the Bengals’ ground game with a season-high 19 rushes for 107 yards, while Evan McPherson drilled a franchise-record 63-yard field goal.
Game Box Score Snapshot
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patriots | 0 | 17 | 3 | 6 | 26 |
| Bengals | 3 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 20 |
New England improved to 10-2 on the season and 6-0 on the road, while Cincinnati dropped to 3-8. The game, played at Paycor Stadium in front of 65,659 fans, ran three hours and eighteen minutes — a grinding, physical affair on both sides of the ball.
Structured Player Stats Comparison Table
| Category | New England Patriots | Cincinnati Bengals |
|---|---|---|
| Passing Yards | Drake Maye — 294 yds, 22/35, 1 TD, 1 INT | Joe Flacco — 183 yds, 19/37, 1 TD, 1 INT |
| Rushing Leader | TreVeyon Henderson — 18 att, 66 yds | Chase Brown — 19 att, 107 yds |
| Receiving Leader | Hunter Henry — 7 rec, 115 yds, 1 TD | Andrei Iosivas — 4 rec, 61 yds |
| Sacks Allowed | 1 (9 yards lost) | 1 (10 yards lost) |
| Defensive/Special Teams TD | Marcus Jones — 33-yd INT return | Geno Stone — 32-yd INT return |
Quarterback Battle and Passing Yards
This wasn’t a shootout, but it was a story of resilience under pressure — literally. Maye’s quarterback passing yards total of 294 came behind a line that lost two starters mid-game, first left guard Jared Wilson and then rookie left tackle Will Campbell.
- Maye completed 22 of 35 attempts for a 87.1 passer rating.
- He threw one touchdown and one costly first-half interception that turned into six points for Cincinnati.
- Flacco, working without his top two receivers for stretches, finished 19-of-37 for 183 yards and a late touchdown to Mitchell Tinsley.
Drake Maye’s Response After the Pick-Six
Maye opened just 3-of-7 before the Bengals’ opening interception return put New England in a 10-0 hole. He answered on the very next possession with a 28-yard scoring strike to Hunter Henry, settling into rhythm for the rest of the afternoon.
Rushing Leaders and Ground Efficiency
Neither backfield exploded, but Chase Brown’s workload stood out among the day’s rushing leaders. His 19 carries and 107 yards were both season highs, giving Cincinnati’s offense a physical identity even as the passing game struggled.
- Chase Brown: 19 carries, 107 yards, long of 21.
- TreVeyon Henderson: 18 carries, 66 yards, long of 9.
- Rhamondre Stevenson added a change-of-pace look with 6 carries for 5 yards.
New England’s Committee Approach
New England didn’t lean on one runner. Henderson led in volume, but Maye’s own scrambles and short passing work to backs like Stevenson and DeMario Douglas kept the ground game balanced rather than explosive.
Touchdown Highlights That Defined the Game
The touchdown highlights from this one weren’t conventional. Two of the four total touchdowns came off defensive returns rather than offensive drives, flipping field position and momentum twice in the first half alone.
- Geno Stone’s 32-yard interception return gave Cincinnati an early 10-0 cushion.
- Marcus Jones answered almost immediately with a 33-yard pick-six of his own, tying the game before halftime.
- Hunter Henry’s 28-yard touchdown catch was the only “clean” offensive score for New England.
- Mitchell Tinsley’s 17-yard touchdown reception from Flacco pulled Cincinnati within three points late in the fourth quarter.
The Kicking Game Stole the Spotlight Too
Evan McPherson’s 63-yard field goal on the final play of the first half broke his own franchise record, while Andres Borregales went a perfect 4-for-4, including the game-sealing 52-yarder with under two minutes left.
Defense Sacks and Pressure Packages
Sack totals were modest on both sides, but the defense sacks numbers only tell part of the story. New England’s front collected one sack for 9 yards, while Cincinnati matched it with one sack of Maye for 10 yards. The bigger defensive impact came from the turnover column rather than the pass rush, with both interceptions converted directly into touchdowns.
- Patriots defense: 1 sack, 1 interception returned for a touchdown.
- Bengals defense: 1 sack, 1 interception returned for a touchdown.
- New England lost two starters while Cincinnati lost important receiving weapons, forcing both offensive lines to rearrange.
Turnovers Mattered More Than Pressure
In a game with only two total sacks, the two interceptions carried far more weight. Each pick-six essentially erased a full offensive possession’s worth of production and swung 14 combined points off turnovers alone.
Receiving Production Beyond the Box Score
Hunter Henry’s day deserves its own section. His 115-yard, seven-catch performance was a career best, coming largely on scramble drills and check-down opportunities created by the disrupted offensive line.
- Hunter Henry: 7 rec, 115 yds, 1 TD.
- Andrei Iosivas: 4 rec, 61 yds.
- Tee Higgins: 5 rec, 31 yds before exiting with a concussion.
- DeMario Douglas: 1 rec, 37 yds on a single deep shot.
Special Teams and Hidden Yardage
Field position swung constantly, driven by long kicks and short fields off turnovers. McPherson’s franchise-record boot and Borregales’ four made kicks combined for 10 of the game’s 46 total points, underlining how much this contest hinged on the kicking game rather than sustained drives.
Injury Report Impact on the Final Score
New England played most of the second half without its starting left guard and left tackle, forcing backups Ben Brown, Marcus Bryant, and Vederian Lowe into extended action. Cincinnati, meanwhile, lost Tee Higgins to a concussion in the fourth quarter and played the entire game without suspended star receiver Ja’Marr Chase. Both offenses adjusted on the fly, which explains the modest overall passing volume from each quarterback.
Future Outlook: What This Game Signals for the Rivalry
Based on this matchup’s data, New England’s identity now runs through opportunistic defense and a deep receiving room rather than one dominant rushing weapon. Expect Maye’s chemistry with Henry to keep growing into a featured element of the offense, while Cincinnati’s next meeting with the Patriots will likely hinge on whether Ja’Marr Chase is healthy and available, since his absence visibly thinned the Bengals’ passing attack in this one. If both rosters stay largely intact, the next matchup projects as another low-sack, turnover-driven game rather than a shootout.
Schema-Ready FAQ
Who won the Patriots vs Bengals game on November 23, 2025?
The New England Patriots won 26-20 over the Cincinnati Bengals. The victory made New England the first team in the 2025 NFL season to reach 10 wins.
How many passing yards did Drake Maye throw for against the Bengals?
Drake Maye passed for 294 yards on 22-of-35 attempts with one touchdown and one interception. The performance also pushed him past 3,000 passing yards for the season.
Who led the Patriots in receiving yards in this game?
Tight end Hunter Henry led New England with a career-high 115 receiving yards on seven catches. He also caught a 28-yard touchdown pass from Maye.
Who was the leading rusher in the Patriots-Bengals matchup?
Bengals running back Chase Brown led all rushers with 107 yards on a season-high 19 carries. TreVeyon Henderson, a back with the Patriots, was not far behind with 66 yards on 18 attempts.
How many sacks did each team record in the game?
Both defenses recorded exactly one sack apiece — New England sacked Joe Flacco once for 10 yards, and Cincinnati sacked Drake Maye once for 9 yards. The game’s defensive impact came more from turnovers than pressure.
Did the Bengals score any defensive touchdowns against the Patriots?
Yes, Bengals safety Geno Stone returned an interception 32 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. New England answered moments later with its own pick-six from Marcus Jones.
What’s Your Take?
Two pick-sixes, a franchise kicking record, and a banged-up offensive line still adding up to a 10-win team — that’s a lot to unpack from one Sunday. Who was your MVP of this game: Drake Maye for battling through the injuries, Hunter Henry for his career day, or Chase Brown for keeping Cincinnati in it? Drop your pick and tell us which player’s stat line surprised you the most.
