Patriots QB Tom Brady returns home for a game against the undefeated Cincinnati Bengals.
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Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA
Head-to-Head record: Patriots lead 14-9
Last Meeting: October 6, 2013 – Bengals won 13-6
The New England Patriots (2-2) play host to the Cincinnati Bengals (3-0) on Sunday Night Football in one of the more interesting matchups of the early NFL season.
To say that the Patriots are struggling would be insulting to struggling teams – outside of wins against the hapless Raiders and Vikings, the Patriots have looked lost or just plain terrible in the past months – certainly not displaying the kind of early-season dominance we have come to expect from QB Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick.
The Bengals on the other hand are flying high with a 3-0 record – one of only two remaining undefeated teams in the NFL – and have the best point differential in football to go along with a stellar all-around team. QB Andy Dalton is playing at a Pro Bowl level while star WR A.J. Green looks like an All-Pro.
Ultimately a game like this between a high-powered offense (Cincinnati) and one of the greatest QBs in NFL history (Brady) will come down to whichever QB makes the fewest mistakes and completes the deep pass more frequently.
Prediction: Patriots – The Patriots two losses have both come on the road – at home they have one of the best records in football. No matter how bad the Patriots appear to be struggling, their homefield advantage makes them a force to be reckoned with. And the Patriots have one of the most opportunistic defenses in football, so unless Dalton plays one of the best games of his career, he will have a tough time making big plays against this New England team.
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