The Bengals defense ripped off safety Geno Stone's pick-six and held NFL passing leader Drake Maye's offense to three field goals in the second half, but the Patriots defense held the Cincinnati offense to fewer than 200 passing yards in New England's 26-20 victory Sunday at Paycor Stadium.

Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco floated a 17-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mitch Tinsley with 4:40 left as the Bengals cut the lead to 23-20. Then Maye, who finished 22 of 35 for 294 yards, converted a third-and-10 to wide receiver Stefon Diggs to set up a 52-yard field goal with 1:51 left that made it 26-20.

Flacco (19 of 37 for 183 yards), went into the Bengals' last drive without a timeout and his top two weapons: All-Pro wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase, serving a one-game suspension, and wide receiver Tee Higgins, who left the drive before with a concussion.

Flacco converted a fourth-and-seven on a remarkable catch by Tinsley, but the Pats held on a fourth down later in the drive to put the game in the books.

Evan McPherson closed out the first half with the first 60-yard field goal in Bengals history, a team record 63-yarder down the middle that trimmed the deficit to 17-13 at the break.

Cincinnati built a 10-0 lead in the first minute of the second quarter on McPherson's 54-yard field goal and Stone's 33-yard pick-six, which was the first interception returned for a touchdown in Maye's NFL career.

But it was gone in less than two minutes. Maye found wide-open tight end Hunter Henry for a 28-yard touchdown, and four snaps later Flacco tried to hit rookie running back Tahj Brooks in the flat on the right sideline. Cornerback Marcus Jones was all over it, stepping in front of the pass and taking it 33 yards the other way for a matching pick-six to give the Pats a 14-10 lead.

NOTES

McPherson Sets Team Record With 63-Yard FG

Evan McPherson knocked through a 63-yard field goal as the first half ended to cut Cincinnati's deficit to 17-13. It marked the longest made field goal in Bengals history, surpassing 59-yarders by McPherson in Week 1 of the 2022 season against Pittsburgh and by Cade York in Week 16 of last season against Cleveland.

McPherson opened the game's scoring with a 54-yard field goal to give the Bengals a 3-0 lead midway through the first quarter. He now has 27 career field goals from a distance of 50 or more yards, which are the most in Bengals history and the seventh-most in the NFL since he entered the league in 2021.

McPherson owns six of the eight longest made field goals in team history. His 63-yarder on Sunday was the fourth-longest made kick in the NFL this season.

Stone Returns INT for Bengals' First Pick-Six of Season

Geno Stone intercepted a Drake Maye pass early in the second quarter and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown to extend Cincinnati's lead to 10-0. It marked Stone's 14th career interception and his second pick-six, as he also had a 39-yard touchdown return in Week 15 of last season at Tennessee.

The Bengals as a team have nine interceptions this season, and Stone's pick today marked the longest return, surpassing his own 25-yard return in Week 6 at Green Bay. He now has 13 interceptions since the start of the 2023 season, tied for the second-most in the NFL in that span.

Chase Brown Continues 100-Yard Streak

Halfback Chase Brown finished the day with 107 rushing yards on 19 carries along with 23 receiving yards on two catches, good for 130 yards from scrimmage. He has recorded at least 100 scrimmage yards in each of the last five games, tying the longest such streak in his career. He previously logged 100 scrimmage yards in five straight contests from Weeks 11-16 of last season.

Defense Makes Goal-Line Stand in Third Quarter

Defensive ends Myles Murphy and Joseph Ossai were credited with the tackle on Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson on fourth-and-goal from the Cincinnati one-yard line, forcing a turnover on downs midway through the third quarter.

New England ran seven plays inside the Bengals' 15-yard line during the possession, including four snaps from the one-yard line. After a pass interference call on the Bengals' set up the Patriots with a first-and-goal at the one, the rookie linebacker tandem of Barrett Carter and Demetrius Knight Jr. teamed up to stop a rushing attempt. An offensive pass interference call on the Patriots backed them up to the 11, but a 10-yard gain on a shovel pass to tight end Hunter Henry placed the spot right back at the one. On third-and-goal, Geno Stone and Jordan Battle split a tackle to stuff Stevenson.

Flacco to Tinsley Cuts It to Three

Joe Flacco hit wide receiver Mitch Tinsley in stride for a 17-yard touchdown to cut Cincinnati's deficit to 23-20 with just under five minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Tinsley now has five receptions this season, with two of them going for touchdowns. His first score was a 13-yarder on his first career catch in Week 2 against Jacksonville.

Tinsley kept the Bengals' last offensive possession alive with a 12-yard grab on fourth-and-seven with under a minute remaining.

Extra Points

• Jalen Davis, who was elevated from the practice squad to the active roster on Saturday, recorded his second career sack when he took down Maye for a nine-yard loss in the third quarter. His first career sack came in Week 16 of the 2018 season when he played for the Miami Dolphins.
• Linebacker Barrett Carter recorded a career-high 16 tackles.
• TE Mike Gesicki made his return to the field after spending the past five weeks on the Reserve/Injured list. He hauled in four receptions for 35 yards.

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