For much of the first half, the New England Patriots have struggled to move the ball against the Cincinnati Bengals. The visitors were able to slow Tom Brady and the unit down by dropping seven players into coverage and creating pressure with only four.
However, they have been unable to do just that during the Patriots’ 2-minute drill late in the second quarter. Consequently, New England was able to drive down the field and take the lead on the following connection from Brady to running back James White:
After a 39-yard completion to wide receiver Chris Hogan, the Patriots found themselves in Cincinnati’s red zone for the first time of the afternoon. On the very next play after the long pass, Brady found White open to his right. The shifty runner was able to get into the endzone untouched.
Despite struggling offensively for most of the first half, New England took the locker room with a 10-7 lead thanks to Brady throwing his first touchdown pass at Gillette Stadium this season.