The Patriots offense opened the third quarter with a lackluster three plays and was forced to punt the ball when the next big play of the game came along. New captain Joe Cardona knocked the ball loose off the returner and Jaylinn Hawkins jumped on the loose fumble, giving the ball back to the Patriots inside Bengals territory.

That provided two important lessons, an encouraging sign for a team that struggled to secure victory in 2023.

Once again, the Bengals’ defense held firm, allowing just seven yards, but it was still enough for Slye, who connected on a 35-yard field goal to extend the Patriots’ lead to 13-0 early in the third quarter. New England’s passing offense began to stumble as the game progressed, while the running game produced struggling yards.

The defense came through with another big play on the Bengals next. First, a third-down incompletion forced the Bengals to try 4th-and-2 from the New England 36-yard line. Burrow fired a quick pass to avoid the oncoming Patriots pressure, but Jonathan Jones surged forward and made an impressive open-field tackle short of the line to win.

After forcing two takeaways, the fourth stop on third down seemed like a third in a row, leaving the Bengals without a point midway through the third quarter.