The Patriots held on to beat the Cincinnati Bengals 26-20, but it was far from their best effort, especially offensively. And the victory, while pushing the Patriots to 10-2 and the best record in the NFL for now, was something of a Pyrrhic triumph for them.
Will Campbell and Jared Wilson were both carted off the field and didn’t return. Brendan Schooler left the game and didn’t return. Khyris Tonga and Morgan Moses left the field but did return.
Winning is tough in the NFL, and during a nine-game winning streak, the team is going to have an occasional stinker.