Cincinnati Bengals vs New England Patriots: Breaking Down Patriots' Game Plan

The New England Patriots aren't a team that rests on its laurels. That is for the best, because at 2-2 and fresh off a 41-14 drubbing by the Kansas City Chiefs, they have no laurels to speak of.

New England won't receive any rest this week as it faces the undefeated (3-0) Cincinnati Bengals who have looked like the best team in football through four weeks of regular-season play. After a 13-6 loss last year, Tom Brady and his offensive crew will be looking to finally get in the end zone.

Here is what New England needs to do to stay above .500 on the season.

Patriots Defense vs. Bengals Offense

According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), the Bengals offensive line has only given up a total of 10 quarterback pressures and zero sacks. The Patriots are going to need to better both of those numbers if they are going to hold Andy Dalton and A.J. Green in check.

If the New England defensive line allows Dalton to sit in the pocket, Green, Mohamed Sanu, Giovani Bernard and Jermaine Gresham are going to get open eventually. The key to beating Dalton is getting him to make quick decisions. That starts before the snap.

Watch for defensive coordinator Matt Patricia to "sugar" man coverage and then drop into one and vice-versa. Zero- and one-man defensive lines are also a possibility, with multiple linebackers and rushers milling around near the line of scrimmage, making it difficult for the offensive line to declare its intentions.

However, the passing game won't matter if the Patriots can't stop the run. Bernard and rookie Jeremy Hill are the perfect speed-and-power combination. Tackling will be at a premium.

Patriots Offense vs. Chiefs Defense

It is pretty simple: Protect Brady or whomever may be taking the snaps behind Bryan Stork. Jimmy Garoppolo had plenty of time against the Chiefs and carved them up. Brady was rattled early and never seemed to settle in the pocket even when he wasn't pressured.

Luckily, the Bengals defensive line hasn't regained full strength yet, with Geno Atkins only a year off his knee injury. This would be a good time for the Patriots offensive line to get things figured out. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels needs to find a way to make the field bigger. Safeties and linebackers aren't afraid of the deep pass, and it is making it hard to run the football and throw the ball underneath.

Playing Aaron Dobson—more on him later—and running more intermediate/deep routes is essential to opening up the offense. The Bengals have a good set of linebackers with Vontaze Burfict and Emmanuel Lamur leading the way. They are susceptible to play action and misdirection though, so watch for the normal array of screens and reverses to be in the game plan.

What They're Saying

Via Shalise Manza Young of The Boston Globe we get this bombshell about the reason why the 2013 second-round pick hasn't been on the field for the last two games.

"

on Dobson: source says he "mouthed off" to Josh McDaniels, leading to his being inactive vs. OAK & KC

— shalise manza young (@shalisemyoung) October 2, 2014"

Setting an example and keeping order in the locker room is important to Bill Belichick—he did hold Wes Welker out for part of a playoff game on account of his poking fun at Rex Ryan—but Dobson is an important part of this offense. 

It may be more correlation than causation, but the Patriots had their highest-scoring output—30 points against the Minnesota Vikings—in the only game that Dobson has played. He only had one catch, but the offense had a lot more room to operate with.

Belichick's will to control and will to win may be at war this Sunday.

Tale of the Tape

Quarterback

I'm not sure if this is a sign of the apocalypse or not, but Dalton has thoroughly outplayed Brady this year. The better offensive line helps, but Dalton has finally played like a veteran for 60 minutes each game.

Verdict: Bengals

Running Backs

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley are good comparisons for Bernard and Hill respectively. The Patriots duo has all the talent in the world; they just need a bit of blocking to make it happen.

Verdict: Push

Wide Receivers

Other than Julian Edelman, there isn't a consistent receiver on New England's team. Green, Sanu, Brandon Tate and Marvin Jones have all shown chemistry with Dalton.

Verdict: Bengals

Tight Ends

Once Rob Gronkowski is at full speed, this is elementary. That said, a healthy Jermaine Gresham equals a hobbled Gronkowski.

Verdict: Push

Offensive Line

Stephan Savoia/Associated Press

This is the biggest difference in the game. The stout Bengals line is the strength of their offense, while the Patriots line is their weak link.

Verdict: Bengals

Defensive Line

Neither team is at full strength, with Chandler Jones sporting a new shoulder injury and Atkins still regaining his explosiveness. Whichever line is able to get more pressure on the opposing quarterback is likely to win its team the game.

Verdict: Push

Linebackers

Burfict, Collins and Hightower may not be at 100 percent, but the Patriots still sport three of the best four linebackers in this game. Jerod Mayo is having a fantastic season as the rejuvenated leader of the New England defense.

Verdict: Patriots

Defensive Backs

Ann Heisenfelt/Associated Press

The Patriots have a better secondary on paper, with Darrelle Revis and Devin McCourty leading the charge. The Bengals, however, have matched or exceeded their New England counterparts, with George Iloka, Reggie Nelson, Leon Hall and Terence Newman all playing well this season.

Verdict: Push

Special Teams

Matthew Slater should be familiar with former Patriot Brandon Tate, who likely won't get many chances with Stephen Gostkowski kicking off and Ryan Allen punting. Julian Edelman is ready to break a big return.

Verdict: Patriots

Overall: Bengals 2-3-4

On paper, the Patriots have a slight disadvantage. However, that could be magnified since their deficiencies are on the all-important offensive line, a position that affects all the others on the offensive side of the ball. Expect the friendly confines of Gillette Stadium to keep this game within three points.

Thursday's Injury-Report Analysis

Did Not Participate: Nate Ebner, Cameron Fleming

Limited Participation: Jamie Collins, Dont'a Hightower, Alfonzo Dennard, Chandler Jones

Full Participation: Rob Gronkowski

Hightower, Jones, Ebner and Fleming have new injuries, with Hightower's knee is especially troubling. His incredible play this year has kept the defense alive at times.

On the Bengals' side, Burfict, Marvin Jones, Kevin Zeitler and Brandon Thompson were all held out of practice with injury issues.

Stats and figures courtesy of NFL.com.