The New England Patriots started slow but finished the game strong as they defeated the Cincinnati Bengals at home, 35 to 17.

Tom Brady completed 83 percent of his passes, throwing for 376 yards and three touchdowns, two of which were thrown to running back James White. Rob Gronkowski had the most receiving yards in a game of his career, catching 7 passes for 164 yards and 1 touchdown. Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton threw for 254 yards and one touchdown, with AJ Green being his leading receiver with 6 receptions for 88 yards.

Both teams struggled on the ground, with both teams lead backs failing to break over 50 yards on the day. Former Patriot and Brandon LaFell made his return to Gillette with the Bengals, and was on the receiving end of Dalton’s one touchdown pass.

What It Means

Things are looking dire for the Bengals. While every team in the AFC North lost on Sunday, and the Pittsburgh Steelers are losing Ben Roethlisberger for an unknown amount of time due to meniscus surgery, this is first time they have been 2-4 since 2010, where they finished 4 and 12 on the year. If they have any chance to make playoffs, every game is a must win scenario.

The Patriots have shifted from a run game during Brady’s suspension to a more passed based offense, with Brady throwing for over 350 yards two weeks in a row. The Patriots will have to fend off the surging 4-2 Bills for the AFC title, with a rematch in Buffalo on October 30th.

Stat of the Game

Gronk score. Gronk spike. Gronkowski has been a force to be reckoned with throughout his career with New England, but his performance against what is a pretty good Bengals defense shows that he is finally healthy. Having a new personal best must be icing on the cake for Gronkowski.

Unsung Hero

Dont’a Hightower made a huge play that was later overshadowed by the offensive surge in the second half of the game. Hightower’s safety on Andy Dalton helped shift momentum back to New England, also recording a sack on the play. Hightower also recorded half a sack that was shared with Jabaal Sheard, 3 tackles, and 10 assists.

Noteworthy

As mentioned before, Ben Roethlisberger will be having surgery that will probably keep him out of this week's upcoming game, which happens to be against the New England Patriots. This could help not only the Patriots in the game itself, but also help the Bengals as they try to reclaim the division despite a bad start.

What’s Next

The Patriots take on the Steelers in Pittsburgh, with kickoff slated at 4:25 PM Eastern Standard time. The game will be available locally on your CBS affiliate or streamed live online on NFL Sunday Ticket in areas where it is not available.