Patriots Ups & Downs: Who stood out in a road win over the Bengals?

The New England Patriots improved to 10-2 on the season with a 26-20 road win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Here's who was graded UP or DOWN based on their on-field performance...

One of the better games of Henry's career. He led a shaky Patriots passing game with seven catches and 115 yards, topping the century mark for just the third time in his career. He also got wide open on a coverage breakdown for Drake Maye's only touchdown pass of the game. It's fair to wonder what the Pats might have done on offense without Henry's contributions.

Maye didn't look like himself in this one. He completed only 61.9% of his passes and threw an interception in which he looked rushed into the throw and sailed it. Maye did face pressure fairly consistently, but seldom overcame it. He posted an 86.6 passer rating when under pressure and 54.4 when blitzed, according to Pro Football Focus.

As a franchise quarterback generally playing at an MVP level tends to do, Maye did have his moments. A 37-yard completion to DeMario Douglas, on third-and-11 backed up well in his own territory, stands out. His lone touchdown pass came after he deftly escaped pressure off the edge and stayed in the pocket to throw. He also made good decisions on when to run and not run, and after the interception he mostly kept the ball out of danger.

But the Patriots will need better from Maye in order to keep this winning streak going through the bye week and some of the games remaining on their schedule. And certainly if they want to go on a real run in the playoffs, when they will face better defenses than the Bengals.

Jones read Joe Flacco all the way on his pick-six. Flacco obviously made a horrendous decision and didn't see Jones at all, but the cornerback also timed the play perfectly. Jones additionally made the final pass breakup on fourth down at the end of the fourth quarter, essentially the game-winning play, because there's no telling how the ending goes if that pass is completed. A great game for a multiphase player having a great season.

Interior pressure has been an issue lately, not just on Sunday. Bradbury allowed two total pressures, per PFF, and also couldn't get a push in the run game when the situation called for it at the goal line. The veteran had a surprisingly strong first half of the season, but he seems to be regressing in recent weeks.

Durden made a real impact in 35 snaps, generating three total pressures and making three tackles. It looks like the Patriots are going to count on Durden to make plays against both the passing game and running game in the absence of Milton Williams, and he stepped up impressively in Cincy.

Ironically, Chaisson led the Patriots with four total pressures, based on the PFF data. But he also committed one of the dumbest penalties you can get in pro football, when took the bait on Flacco's hard count and jumped offside on fourth-and-5, gifting the Bengals a first down. He also had an ugly missed tackle. Chaisson has been a productive edge rusher in obvious passing situations for the Patriots, but at times he plays a little out of control, and he was out of control on Sunday.

The rookie went 4-for-4 on field goals and converted his only PAT try, accounting for half the Patriots' points. His fourth conversion came from 52 yards late in the fourth quarter, giving the Patriots three valuable insurance points that forced the Bengals to go for a touchdown on their last possession. It was a strong bounce-back and then some for Borregales, who missed a field goal try in the previous game against the Jets.

Stevenson rushed six times for five yards - just 0.8 yards per carry. That's low. He didn't get much help from the line in front of him, but Stevenson couldn't get anything done at the goal line when they really needed him, either. On the bright side, Stevenson didn't fumble in this one. But he could have certainly done better in his return.

Next Patriots Ups & Downs will come a little later than usual, after the Pats take on the New York Giants on "Monday Night Football."