Bengals Defense Start Slow in New England

Oct 5, 2014; Foxborough, MA, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton (14) warms up before the start of the game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

The Cincinnati Bengals started incredibly slow on defense as the Patriots take a 7-0 lead just 5 minutes into their Sunday night matchup. They will need to find answers or it could be a long night for this Bengals defense and team. The Bengals have been known for their terrible primetime play.

Tom Brady went 2-2 in passing and the run game just took off as the Bengals looked to find an answer for a no huddle offense. Tom Brady passed for 50 yards on the first drive and he had 10 yards on the ground to lead the offense down the field for a Stevan Ridley one yard run for a touchdown. The Patriots also earned four first downs and converted a 4th and 1 on the 4 yard line to break the defense early.

Andy Dalton and the Bengals offense couldn’t respond as Mike Nugent was short on his first field goal attempt. The defense will also need to tighten up quickly if they want to keep themselves in this important game.

The Baltimore Ravens lost so a win for the Bengals would put them 2 games up on the division. They also head into this game as the last unbeaten team in the NFL as the Arizona Cardinals lost against the Denver Broncos earlier.