Yes, the Patriots (10-2) won their ninth consecutive game on Sunday. And yes, it’s the first time they’ve done that in a single season since 2016.
But that feat ranks third on the pecking order of storylines coming out of Cincinnati (3-8) in Week 12.
Chief among them is the health of rookie left tackle Will Campbell, who went down in the third quarter with a knee injury and did not return to the game. He was carted from the sideline to the locker room with a towel over his head, which is typically a sign of impending bad news about that player’s availability moving forward.
We’ve since learned from head coach Mike Vrabel on Monday’s Greg Hill Show that the injury appears to be something that will keep the No. 4 overall pick out for “more than a week or two,” while also giving some credence to the reports of Campbell’s injury being a sprain and not a tear.
“Well, I think you have to understand sprains have different severities,” Vrabel told WEEI on Monday. “So sprain, strain, not sure - but I just know that he's probably not going to be there Monday night. And I don't think it's going to be something that's going to keep him out, you know - this is not career ending. But I wouldn't anticipate him being out there Monday.”
Given how things looked for Campbell on Sunday, this type of talk from Vrabel on Monday can’t be viewed through any lens other than positive. That type of soft update from the head coach sounds like MVP candidate Drake Maye will have his blindside protection back at some point in the coming weeks. It goes without saying, but he’s going to need it come playoff time when the competition goes up a level.
Outside of Campbell’s health moving forward, the No. 2 storyline coming out of Sunday was New England’s inability to get in the end zone from the 1 yard line.
In the third quarter, after a 35-yard pass interference penalty gave the Patriots a 1st and goal from the Bengals 5 yard line, it felt like a forgone conclusion that New England would be extending their lead to 24-13 - worst case scenario 20-13.
9 plays later (!), the Pats were turning it over on downs to the Bengals on their own 1 yard line.
It was, quite honestly, gross, infuriating football to watch.
Against the worst rushing defense in the NFL, they were unable to move the line. Five plays from the 1, and no points to show for it.
The Bengals punted the ball back five plays later, but this was an obvious missed opportunity for New England. Safe to say they’ll be looking long and hard at that tape over the next few days.
Fast forward to midway through the fourth quarter, and Maye was stuffed on a 3rd and goal from the 1. It led to Andy Borregales coming in for a 19-yard field goal attempt, which he nailed to put the Patriots up 23-13.
Another goal-to-go situation, another failed attempt at 6 from only inches out.
“The goal line offense could use a little bit of improvement moving forward,” WEEI’s Courtney Cox said to Vrabel on Monday. “I know coaching immediately after the game is one thing, but moving forward as the head coach, how do you get them better?”
“There's a million things I could say right there, Courtney, but I'm going to try to say that it has to be better,” said Vrabel. “When we get out of - you know, with the injuries, we were out of goal line. There were some things that did us there.
“At the end of the day, you have to be able to move somebody into the end zone. You have to be able to score with your man. And that's really what happens. And we have to be better. We have to be able to convert those into touchdowns. And so, it's everybody. It's the design, it's the execution, and we just - you're not going to win any games, too many games, if you can't score inside the 5 yard line.”
With Campbell likely to miss a good chunk of the remaining games in the regular season, as well as whatever amount of time fellow rookie offensive lineman Jared Wilson is about to miss due to his injury from Sunday, these goal line situations just got a little more difficult.
How Vrabel and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels plan to handle these scenarios in the coming weeks will be something to keep an eye on starting in Week 13 against the Giants (2-10) on Monday Night Football.
As of publishing, the Patriots are a 7.5-point favorite over New York, sitting at -400 on the moneyline. The total is set at 47.5.
Tune in each and every Monday throughout the football season to Patriots Monday on WEEI. Head coach Mike Vrabel joins The Greg Hill Show at 6:30 a.m. ET, and quarterback Drake Maye joins WEEI Afternoons.