A week after their last-second choke-away loss against the Las Vegas Raiders, the New England Patriots took on the Cincinnati Bengals at home on Christmas Eve.
A miserable first half left New England desperate for any kind of positive momentum later in the game. They found it in the second half, fighting their way back and nearly coming away victorious against a tough Bengal defensive front.
Unfortunately, a late-game fumble by running back Rhamondre Stevenson was recovered by Cincinnati, and the Patriots were not able to capitalize on their final offensive drive, ultimately falling to their opponent 22-18.
Here are three takeaways from the game.