On Friday night, Paycor Stadium played host to one of the great chapters in Ohio high school football history with the playoff game between Elder and St. Xavier.

On Sunday, Bengals backups like Jalen Davis and Mitch Tinsley showed the kids what football is all about.

That's what Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco tried to say as he looked at his finger that was much like the game and the season.

Mangled. Dislocated. But, somehow, still firing, looking for a spark.

"It's a shame. There are always positives in games like these, but when you don't win them, it's hard to feel like it matters," said Flacco as the Bengals tried to digest losing their third one-score game in a month, 26-20, to the streaking Patriots.

"That's why winning is such a big deal. It can highlight guys stepping up and doing good things in those roles. Since we weren't able to do it, it kind of goes unseen."

The unseen is Davis, a nickel cornerback, playing 42 snaps on his first plays of this season, his most in three years, and the third most of his career.

Davis, who has been here longer than anyone on defense serving on the practice squad and roster since 2020, got the first start of his 58-game NFL career Sunday.

In his 53^rd game as a Bengal, he showed just what being a team guy is even if it is unseen.

"That's JD. JD has had an unbelievable attitude every day that he's in this building. He's a fan-favorite in the locker room because he just competes," said Bengals head coach Zac Taylor, who can send messages several ways. "He loves football. He embraces every role, whether it's a scout team player in practice. Whatever it is. And then, he gets his opportunity. He hasn't played in a game all season, and goes out there and fights like crazy and gets a sack.

"He does a great job fitting in the run game, draws a holding on a run play. There's a lot to love about JD."

For the second straight unseen week, the Bengals defense delivered a winner. Blindness. For the second straight week, the offense could generate only a touchdown. Yet Flacco and defensive end Joseph Ossai were on the same page.

"That (goal-line) stand was impressive. That was a testament to the boys just striving. nobody gives up. That's what sucks about games like this," said Ossai in the middle of two second-half-heart-on-the-sleeve goal-line stands. "You get guys who play their hearts out and ball out and offensive guys who go down, and the next guy steps up and makes plays, and you don't come out with a win. The only reward is a win and it sucks."

Ossai was talking about guys like Tinsley, the wide receiver who came in with three catches. A touchdown from Jake Browning in the second week of the season and a 27-yard catch from Flacco three weeks ago.

On Sunday, he didn't get his two catches until 4:40 left and Tee Higgins concussed in the locker room. One was a 17-yard touchdown that cut the lead to 23-20. The other was a how-the-hell-did-he-throw-it-how-the-hell-did-he-catch-it-12-yarder on a fourth-and-eight with 47 seconds left, shoving the Bengals into New England territory.

As Flacco was about to get blown up on a zero blitz, he somehow jacked it up and over cornerback Marcus Jones on the sideline, and somehow Tinsley kept his focus in the air as he tumbled out of bounds with it.

"Luck was on our side," Tinsley said. "The ball was a little high. l thought the nickel might get his hands on it, but it kind of went through his hands. So I kind of had to adjust."

It happened right in front of Taylor.

"(Flacco) layered it right over the top," Taylor said. "Mitch did a great job securing it out of bounds. They didn't touch him, so they ended up putting time back on the clock. It's a big moment for us."

Maybe not as big as Tinsley's touchdown catch, two plays after Flacco had his finger snapped into place. Higgins had just been driven off, and the Bengals' next receiver, Andrei Iosivas, was in the medical tent getting a stinger checked. On first-and-10 from the Pats 17, Flacco looked to his left and saw the Pats' very good first-round cornerback, Christian Gonzalez, pressing the undrafted Tinsley.

"Mitch always seems to win those situations," said Flacco, shaking his head later in the locker room. "You take that."

Flacco changed the route. He had all the faith in the world that his No. 4 receiver could beat their No. 1 cornerback on a go route. Tinsley jack-hammered his feet into reality and sailed down the left sideline.

"It was a conversion. He's a great player," Tinsley said. "I put a lot of work in. I believe in my ability. To me, it was about getting a good release, stacking him, and then catching the ball."

On both sides, it was a game you had to dip into your reserve and use your reserves.

The Pats lost the left side of their offensive line during the day.

For the Bengals, All-Pro wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase was suspended. Starting cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt was out for the year. Rookie right guard Jalen Rivers (knee/ankle) tried to go but couldn't. And then the game started and Paycor Stadium looked like a Civil War re-enactment.

You know how they say the ball always finds you? In NFL, it's injuries that always seem to find the same spot.

Backup cornerback Marco Wilson came in on the first series and appeared to re-aggravate a hamstring on his first and only play. Rookie running back Tahj Brooks, playing for the injured Samaje Perine, suffered a concussion on his ninth play. Flacco, in his sixth legendary start for the legendary Joe Burrow and already nursing a sore shoulder, had to stand for a snap to deal with the finger and watched Browning scramble for a completion before going back to the sideline.

Higgins went down with a concussion with five minutes left, leaving Flacco trying to score a winning touchdown in the final 1:09 without Chase, Higgins and a timeout from their 41.

"Some of the last plays on the move there inside the 30-yard line, none of those guys had been in that position before. We still felt we were going to find a way," Taylor said.

"You saw guys that have played all year, you saw guys that came in there and got their first opportunities, you saw guys that came in there on a one-play notice, and guys just kept fighting. We thought we were going to win the game and we came up short. It's a sickening feeling."

They reached the Pats 26, where on fourth down New England sent six and hit Flacco as he tried to throw to tight end Mike Gesicki (just back off injured reserve himself) getting grabbed by cornerback Marcus Jones.

"We were surprised we didn't get that call," said Bengals left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. of pass interference. "But that's ball."

Ball is Jalen Davis talking about waiting to play this season after playing just two games last year.

"Man, it's horrible," Davis said. "But I'm always waiting for my moment. I love my brothers always having my back, keeping me engaged, keeping myself engaged. Staying alert every week. You never know when your moment is going to be."

Davis has seen every Bengals' defensive reincarnation of the decade. He thinks the goal-line stands can be a turning point. He also saw the Pats tight ends control the middle of the field on 10 catches for 154 yards.

"They got out a few times. We have to clean it up," said Davis after showing the kids how to do it. "I feel like we've been getting better every week. We've got more to do. More to build on.

"We have to put our heads down and keep on going."

The unseen stuff.

"Whoever is out there, " Tinsley said, "you have to make a play no matter who is on the other side."