Print

Mail

wiki links

Patriots bully Bengals to go 4-0

New England Patriots running back Sammy Morris, center, runs the ball against the Cincinnati Bengals during their NFL game at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Monday. The Patriots won 34-13. PHOTO: EPA

The New England Patriots remained one of the NFL's four unbeaten teams on Monday -- and the best of the bunch -- by beating the Cincinnati Bengals 34-13 with a dominating performance that showed their versatility.

New England (4-0) is off to its best start since 2004, when it won the Super Bowl for the third time in four years. An offense energized by the addition of receivers Randy Moss, Donte' Stallworth and Wes Welker showed that it could grind it out, too.

Especially against a team like the Bengals (1-3), who had trouble just getting a defense on the field.

Moss caught a pair of touchdown passes and Sammy Morris ran for 117 yards, giving the Patriots more than enough on a night when they didn't need a whole lot.

Cincinnati was missing middle linebackers Ahmad Brooks and Caleb Miller, leaving a big hole in one of the league's worst defenses. When Lemar Marshall was injured in the first quarter, the Bengals moved rookie safety Chinedum Ndukwe into a linebacker's spot.

The Patriots had more linebackers in their offense on goal-line plays than the Bengals had in their defense on many plays. One of the defensive players -- Mike Vrabel -- even caught a touchdown pass.

Missing their top runner didn't slow the Patriots.

Morris, an eighth-year journeyman playing for his third team, got to star on center stage because Laurence Maroney was out with a strained groin. He had the second 100-yard game of his career, including a 7-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-1 to put the Patriots in control in the third quarter.

Morris' 49-yard run -- the second-longest of his career -- set up Tom Brady's 1-yard touchdown pass to Vrabel, who has nine career catches, all for touchdowns. Two of them have come in the Patriots' Super Bowl wins.

Brady, the two-time Super Bowl MVP, didn't have to do anything sensational in an offense that could grind it out against a depleted defense. He was 25-of-32 for 231 yards with the touchdown pass to Vrabel and two to Moss.
This story has been viewed 957 times.