3 winners (and 3 losers) for Bengals in maddening Week 12 loss to Patriots

The Cincinnati Bengals put forth their best defensive effort in quite some time. Alas, the offense couldn't capitalize without Ja'Marr Chase in yet another frustrating 26-20 loss to the New England Patriots in Week 12.

Sunday's defeat had the silver lining of a much-improved defense, which to this point has been historically bad. Then again, the Patriots lost the whole left side of their offensive line to injuries in rookies Jared Wilson and Will Campbell in this game.

So are there any real positives to take from this one, given that the Bengals have now fallen to 3-8 on the season? We'll try to find some, and call out those who should take heat for the latest "L."

Winner: Jalen Davis

Geno Stone's pick-six makes him an obvious candidate, but how about somebody else in the secondary?

Nickelback Jalen Davis is a long-running member of the Bengals' defensive backfield. With the team since 2020. Struggled to be promoted past anything other than a special teams contributor or practice squad guy in all that time.

Credit Davis or being ready when his number was called. Due to Cam Taylor-Britt's injury, Davis got promoted to the active roster on Saturday, and filled in admirably in the slot. His highlight play was a sack of Patriots quarterback Drake Maye on a blitz.

While it's too early to declare Davis a part of the long-term vision on perma-fixing this defense, he showed what a dependable nickel could do for Dax Hill's ability to flex out as a boundary corner. That's where Hill has looked most comfortable in his NFL career.

Loser: Joe Flacco

Joe Flacco had a dreadful afternoon for the most part. He took a sack to deny the Bengals a shot at a field goal in the first half, and threw the laziest pick-six you're bound to ever see right to Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones.

Safe to say the Flacco renaissance magic has run out. Joe Burrow needs to be back in the lineup if the Bengals are meant to have any chance at winning on Thanksgiving Day at Baltimore.

And look, a lot of this has to do with the fact that Flacco must be more reluctant to push the ball downfield. He's playing through a sprained AC joint in his throwing shoulder. Calling him a "loser" feels harsh, but it's more to emphasize that he's lost all the momentum he gained with his change of scenery in Cincinnati.

If that wasn't enough, Flacco smashed his throwing hand while following through on a fourth-quarter throw and had to hustle out of the game.

It's a shame. What a joy Flacco was to watch for a few games. Did plenty to keep the Bengals in the mix. Too bad the defense waited till Week 12 to show any signs of life once he started playing.

Winner: Chase Brown

If you take out the Bears game, when Flacco threw for 470 yards and therefore the running game wasn't as necessary, Chase Brown had 280 yards rushing in the other prior three contests. Then, he went for over 100 yards against the Pats' No. 1 run defense.

New England's prized defensive lineman Milton Williams wasn't playing, yet he's more of a pass rushing force than an elite run stopper. Nevertheless, given the Bengals' o-line issues, it's impressive how much they moved bodies at the line of scrimmage.

Brown got off to a super slow start in 2025. It's encouraging to see him and his blockers in sync to form a more formidable rushing attack than anyone could've thought through the season's first month.

Loser: Zac Taylor

It was 4th down and one yard to go from the Cincinnati 45-yard line. The defense was playing well for once. Chase Brown was averaging almost six yards per carry at the time. Taylor decided to take a delay of game and punt.

This is a game the Bengals had little business winning, even at home. You'd think someone with a 3-7 record would try a little harder to go for the win. Taylor chose to be conservative. New England proceeded to take a two-possession lead after a 13-play, 79-yard field goal drive that ate up over seven minutes of clock.

I won't say, "ZAC TAYLOR DESERVES TO BE FIRED!" for punting there. I will say it was among the most disappointing in-game coaching decisions in a season and a tenure full of them for the Bengals head coach.

Winner: Mitchell Tinsley

Can we get this man the darn ball!? Mitchell Tinsley capitalizes on any and every opportunity he gets. That held true on Sunday, when a rash of injuries thrust him into action.

All Tinsley did was come off the bench, cook the Pats' CB1 on a free release, and hauled in a perfect touch throw from Flacco for a clutch fourth-quarter TD.

On top of that and another grab to keep Sunday's final drive going, Tinsley had a 13-yard touchdown in Week 2's victory over Jacksonville. He should get a long look as the new WR3 going forward over Andrei Iosivas.

Loser: Rest of Bengals wide receiver corps

For as bright of a spot as Tinsley was, this was a rough day at the office for Cincinnati's wideouts overall.

Jermaine Burton, a third-round pick from last year, kept his season-long inactive streak alive. Ja'Marr Chase served his spitting suspension. Tee Higgins suffered a concussion. Iosivas exited the game with what looked to be a bad shoulder before reentering.

That's quite a laundry list of problems. If Joe Burrow does come back against the Ravens (looks like he will), at least he'll have his WR1 in Chase, but what his group of pass-catchers looks like for Week 13 is anyone's guess right now.

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