Normally when your defense only gives up 13 points, especially when you're the New England Patriots, you expect to look up at the scoreboard and see a blow out in your favor.
Normally. But as every Patriots' fan is aware, this has been anything but a "normal" year.
Quarterback Tom Brady had a miserable game, going 18 of 38 for 197 yards and his offensive line gave up four sacks to a Cincinnati Bengals defense that survived three late game would-be fatal errors to take a 13-6 win at Paul Brown Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday afternoon.
New England running back LeGarrette Blount ran for 50 yards on 12 carries, but fumbled running hard for extra yardage late in the second quarter, and the Patriots all but abandoned the run at that point, as offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels put the game in the hands of his veteran quarterback - which normally is a money gamble.
Normally. But to reiterate, this has been anything but a "normal" year.
Brady was harassed nearly the entire game as the Bengals' excellent defensive line manhandled the Patriots' offensive line - and the four sacks doesn't begin to tell the story of how dominating the Cincinnati pass rush was - conversely, the Patriots' defense proved to be resilient, if not stout, getting timely sacks and turnovers to hold the Bengals' potentially explosive offense to just 13 points...
...playing well enough to keep New England undefeated - had the offense cooperated.
But they didn't, despite having several opportunities practically gift wrapped and handed to them, a combination of a very tentative looking Brady, several dropped passes, a sudden monsoon and horrendous play calling dooming them to an offensive output of just 248 yards of total offense and only six points on the scoreboard.
Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton was an efficient 20 of 27 for 212 yards with no touchdown and one terrible decision that led to a red zone interception by Brandon Spikes, but it was what he did with his feet that ultimately killed the Patriots.
On a 3rd and goal from the Patriots' one yard line, Bengal's defensive tackle and part-time short yardage fullback Domata Peko got an early jump and took a 5 yard flag to set the Bengals back to the six yard line - but on the following play Dalton dropped back to pass, then tucked the ball and took the ball back to the original line of scrimmage - and former Patriot BenJarvus Green-Ellis bullied is way into the end zone the following play, giving the Bengals' the game's only touchdown.
Dalton's scrambles proved to be drive extenders on three seperate possessions, leading to all 13 of Cincinnati's points.
After a slow first half on the ground, the Bengals' running game turned it up a notch in the second half, taking advantage of a Patriots' defensive line missing their elite run stuffing tackle Vince Wilfork and losing his battery mate Tommy Kelly to a knee injury.
Once Kelly went down, the Bengals did what the Falcons failed to do last Sunday - take advantage of the inexperienced and undersized rookies Chris Jones and Joe Vellano, the only defensive tackles left on the depth chart - Bernard and Green-Ellis gouging the interior of the Patriots line to the tune of 162 yards and the one touchdown.
Conversely, the Patriots ran the ball just 18 times for 82 yards, almost completely abandoning the run in the second half despite an average gain of over four yards each time Blount or Bolden touched the ball.
But despite all of the negatives, the Patriots had two golden opportunities late in the game that could have potentially tied the game and then won it.
With just under nine minutes remaining in regulation and the Patriots in possession of the ball immediately following the Green-Ellis touchdown, Brady found receiver Aaron Dobson over the middle, Dobson displaying his speed in taking the ball 53 yards down to the Bengals' 16 yard line, then hit Danny Amendola for 15 yards to the Cincinnati one - one of the few running plays the Patriots attempted in the second half was stuffed for no gain...
...an overthrow of eligible tackle Nate Solder highlighted a series of curious play calls - and a drop by Julian Edelman in the end zone found the Patriots settling for a Stephen Gostkoski field goal to pull within a touchdown at 13-6 - The ensuing Bengals' drive tearing off huge chucks of yardage and running down the clock before safety Devin McCourty forced a Giovani Benard fumble that linebacker Jerod Mayo recovered in Cincinnati territory with 3:26 to play.
In a sudden driving downpour, a Brady misconnection with Dobson combined with another Edelman drop and yet another sack of Brady forced the Patriots to punt. But the defense forced a three and out and with deft usage of their timeouts, the Patriots got the ball back at their own 35 with just under two minutes to play.
A Bolden drop, a Brady worm-burner toward Edelman and a short gainer to Bolden left the Patriots with a desperation 4th and four at their own 41, an encroachment penalty on the Bengals' Chris Crocker giving Brady another set of downs...
...and with the visibility down to just about nothing, Edelman couldn't gain the handle on a Brady fastball over the middle before Bolden ripped of a gain of 12 off right guard - only a sprawling tackle by corner Pacman Jones saving the game from being tied - then a questionable Roughing the passer penalty on defensive end Wallace Gilberry found the Patriots in business at the Cincinnati 27 with just under a minute to play.
But on a day that was suitable only for ducks, Brady released a quacker toward Dobson that fluttered and eventually came down on Jones, who cradled it at the two yard line and the Bengals had their win.
With the loss, New England drops to 4-1 on the season, but still in first place in the AFC East courtesy of a Miami Dolphins' loss to Baltimore - and now return home to face the mighty New Orleans Saints passing attack next Sunday...
...and unless they find some answers on offense and some defensive tackles on defense, the Patriots will have a difficult time keeping pace with Drew Brees, Jimmy Graham and the Saints.
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