FOXBORO, Mass _ The Bengals were one snap away from tacking on to a 7-3 lead with about 2:30 left in the first half when Bengals cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick gave New England quarterback Tom Brady the dreaded reprieve and a first down on third-and-18 when he was called for illegal use of hands.
Brady promptly hit his next three passes and the last two accounted for 54 yards and the Patriots’ 10-7 half-time lead when running back James White walked in untouched on a 15-yard flare pass with 61 seconds left in the half.
Up until those last two snaps, the Bengals defense had stepped up in a nice effort in front of a Gillette Stadium throng saluting their Tommy’s Homecoming.