In Week 12, the New England Patriots will take on the Cincinnati Bengals. This season, New England is 9-2, sitting in first place for the division and tied for first in the conference. Unfortunately for the Patriots, they will be without their top defender, Milton Williams, after he was placed on injured reserve with an ankle injury.
The Bengals will be without key contributors, as well. Top wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase is not going to be in action on Sunday, after being suspended by the NFL for one game. It's been a rough season for the Bengals, who lost star quarterback Joe Burrow during Week 2 after the signal-caller suffered a turf toe injury that required surgery. Without Burrow, Jake Browning took over before being replaced by veteran Joe Flacco, whom the Bengals acquired from the Cleveland Browns. The Bengals' past two days of practice, however, mean changes to the Patriots' game plan must be made.
Joe Burrow a Full Practice Participant for 2nd Straight Day
On Thursday, Joe Burrow would be a full participant at the Bengals' practice, per the Cincinnati Enquirer's Kelsey Conway. This marks the second straight day where Burrow was a full participant in practice. Despite that, though, the All-Pro QB remains on the IR for the time being.
If Burrow were to play in Week 12, that would be a huge boost for the Bengals' offense, as when Burrow is healthy, he's been one of the best quarterbacks in the league. During the 2024 season, Burrow threw for 4,918 yards and 43 touchdowns, both marks being the most in the NFL. While Burrow might be a little rusty in his first game back, the Patriots would need to prepare differently for him than they would for Flacco.
While the likelihood that Burrow would do much, if anything, outside of the pocket coming off a turf toe injury seems slim, his ability to command that area undoubtedly provides Cincinnati with a higher upside on offense. This would only make New England's pass rush that much more vital to their success. Whether it is a gimpy Burrow under center, or the statue that is Flacco, the front seven must be living in the offensive backfield all game long.
Even if Burrow does return, not having Chase would be a loss, though they do have some forgotten weapons on the offense besides receiver Tee Higgins and running back Chase Brown. New England has no excuses to lose this game due to the Bengals' horrific defense, which allows the most yards per game at 418.2 and has allowed the most touchdowns on the year with 41.
Mike Vrabel knows all of this. He is preaching it to his roster behind closed doors. This is why the defense must be at its best on Sunday. If the Patriots can break the spirit of a cellar dweller like Cincinnati in the early going, the Bengals should fold like fresh laundry, and New England can extend its winning streak.