5 takeaways from Patriots’ bounce-back victory against Bengals

Here are five takeaways from the Patriots’ 34-13 victory against the Bengals.

Defense will have to carry the load in the postseason

Anyone who pays attentions to the Patriots this season knows that the defense is the identity of this year’s team.

There just isn’t enough time for Tom Brady and his offensive weapons to find the chemistry to become dominant. Frustration has surrounded the offensive unit, and it isn’t seeming to get better. Brady’s trust lies only with Julian Edelman and James White, while Mohamed Sanu and N’Keal Harry are beginning to find their place. This means that this overbearing defense will have to stay healthy and hungry in the postseason.

The Patriots are giving up the least amount of points per game this season and they’re in the top five in almost every major defensive category. They showcased that defense after recording four interceptions in the second half against the Bengals. Gilmore had two of them and J.C. Jackson snagged the other two.

If Brady and the offense can build decent chemistry over the next month, they could be poised to rely on the defense and make minimal mistakes during a playoff run.

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