TEAM NOTES 

PATRIOTS HAVE NOW WON 23 AGAINST NON-DIVISION AFC OPPONENTS
The Patriots have won 23 straight home games against non-division AFC opponents. Their last loss to a non-division AFC team was a 33-10 loss vs. Pittsburgh on Nov. 30, 2008. 

PATRIOTS ARE WICKED GOOD IN OCTOBER
The Patriots are an NFL-best 51-17 in the month of October since the 2000 season. The Patriots are 30-5 at home during that time in October and 21-12 on the road.

*PATRIOTS START SEASON SIX STRAIGHT GAMES WITH NO INTS. *
The Patriots have yet to throw an interception in 2016 through the first six games, setting a team mark to start a season. The old mark was in 2015 when the Patriots did not throw a pick in the first four games. The overall team record for most consecutive games without an interception is eight straight games, set in the second half of the 2010 season. The NFL record to start a season without an interception is nine games set by Cleveland in 1960. The 2008 Washington Redskins went the first eight games without throwing an interception.

PATRIOTS RECORD SAFETIES IN BACK-TO-BACK GAMES
The Patriots have now recorded a safety in back-to-back games for the first time in team history. LB Dont'a Hightower dropped Cincinnati QB Andy Dalton in the end zone for an 8-yard sack for a safety. At Cleveland in the previous game, Browns QB Cody Kessler fumbled the ball out of the end zone for a safety. 

PATRIOTS REMAIN UNDEFEATED AGIANST THE BENGALS AT GILLETTE
The Patriots are now 4-0 against the Cincinnati Bengals at Gillette Stadium.
Date        Score
12/12/04        35-28 victory
09/12/10        38-24 victory
10/05/14        43-17 victory 
1/16/16        35-17 victory 

INDIVIDUAL NOTES  

GRONKOWSKI SETS CAREER HIGH IN RECEIVING YARDS
TE Rob Gronkowski set a career high with 162 yards receiving. His previous best was 160 yards on Dec. 11, 2011, at Washington. 

GRONK MOVES PAST FRYAR INTO FOURTH PLACE ON PATS LIST
Gronkowski's 38-yard reception in the third quarter moved him past Irving Fryar (5,726) into fourth place on the Patriots all-time receiving list. Gronkowski entered the Cincinnati game with 5,675 yards, 52 yards behind Fryar and finished with 162 yards to give him 5,837 receiving yards.

Patriots All-Time Receiving LeadersName            Yards
Stanley Morgan    10,352
Wes Welker        7,459
Troy Brown        6,366
Rob Gronkowski    5,837
Irving Fryar        5,726

GRONK INCHES CLOSER TO THE PATRIOTS ALL-TIME TOUCHDOWN RECORD
Gronkkwski caught his first touchdown pass of the 2016 season with a 4-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter to increase his career total to 67 touchdowns. 

MOST CAREER TOUCHDOWNS BY A PATRIOTS PLAYERPlayer        Touchdowns
1. Stanley Morgan        68 (67 rec, 1 ret)
2. Rob Gronkowski        67 (66, rec, 1 rush)
3. Ben Coates        50
4. Randy Moss        50
5. Sam Cunningham        49
6. Jim Nance        46
7. Tony Collins        44 

MOST TOUCHDOWN RECEPTIONS BY A PATRIOTS PLAYERPlayer        Touchdowns
1. Stanley Morgan        67
2. Rob Gronkowski        66 
2. Ben Coates        50
2. Randy Moss        50

MOST RECEIVING TOUCHDOWNS BY A PATRIOTS TIGHT ENDPlayer    TD    Years
Rob Gronkowski    66    2010-Present
Ben Coates    50    1991-99
Russ Francis    28    1975-80, 87-88
Ben Watson    20    2004-09

GRONK GOES OVER 100 YARDS; TIES SMITH WITH 22 100-YARD GAMES
Gronkowski finished with his 22nd career 100-yard game after catching seven passes for 162 yards. He is now tied with Jackie Smith for the third-most 100-yard games by an NFL tight end with 22, behind Kellen Winslow (24) and Tony Gonzalez (31). 

MOST 100-YARD GAMES BY A TIGHT END IN NFL HISTORYPlayer    100-Yard Games
Tony Gonzalez    31
Kellen Winslow    24
Rob Gronkowski    22
Jackie Smith    22
Antonio Gates    21
Jason Witten    20
Shannoin Sharpe    19

MOST 100-YARD RECEIVING GAMES IN PATRIOTS HISTORY
Stanley Morgan    38
Wes Welker    28
Rob Gronkowski    22
Randy Moss    18

MOST 100-YARD GAMES BY A PATRIOTS TIGHT END
Player    100-Yard Games
Rob Gronkowski    22
Ben Coates    9 

GRONKOWKSI TO BRADY SHINES AGAIN
The 4-yard touchdown pass from Tom Brady to Rob Gronkowski is the 65 touchdown connection between the two, the second most among a quarterback and a tight end in NFL history and now tied with Jim Kelly and Andre Reed for the seventh most in NFL history. 

BRADY BECOMES FOURTH NFL PLAYER WITH 5,000 COMPLETIONS
Tom Brady became the fourth NFL player with at least 5,000 completions after completing 29 passes to reach 5,010. He entered the game needing 19 completions and reached the feat with a 38-yard pass to Rob Gronkowski in the third quarter. 

MOST PASS COMPLETIONS IN NFL HISTORY
1. Brett Favre    6,300
2. Peyton Manning    6,125
3. Drew Brees    5,515
4. Tom Brady    5,010
5. Dan Marino    4,967
6. John Elway    4,123
7. Warren Moon    3,988

BRADY INCHING CLOSER TO BECOMING THE ALL-TIME WINNINGEST QUARTERBACK
Brady won his 196th game overall, and needs five more wins to become the NFL's all-time leader. 

BRADY FOLLOWS 400 WITH 300
Tom Brady had his second consecutive 300-yard game after finishing with 376 yards passing against Cincinnati after throwing for 406 yards at Cleveland the previous week. It is the 14th time that he has thrown for 300 yards in back-to-back weeks. The Patriots are 61-12 in games when he throws for 300 or more yards. His 73 300-yard-games are third in NFL history to the 99 by Drew Brees and the 93 by Peyton Manning. 

*BRADY IS IMPRESSIVE IN HOME GAMES *
Brady is 49-1 at home against the AFC since 2007. His only loss at home against an AFC opponent since 2007 was the season-finale in 2014 when the Patriots lost to Buffalo, 17-9, on Dec. 28. 2014. Since 2007, Brady is 61-5 overall at home in the regular season. That is more wins than six teams have (home and away) combined during that span. 
Detroit – 56
Tampa Bay – 56
Oakland – 52
Jacksonville – 51
Cleveland – 47
Los Angeles Rams - 45
(Not including today's games)

BRADY HAS 782 PASSING YARDS THROUGH TWO GAMES
Tom Brady threw for 782 yard (406 and 375) over the last two weeks. The 782 yards are the third-most in team history in a two-week span. Brady had 940 yards (517 and and 423) to start the 2011 season with 517 at Miami on Sept. 12, 2011 followed by 423 yards vs. San Diego on Sept. 18 2011. Matt Cassel's total of 815 passing yards from Nov. 13 and 23, 2008 are second. Brady's 940 yards ranks second all-time in consecutive games to Phil Simms, who holds the record with 945 yards (432 yards and 513 yards).

HIGHTOWER SACKS DALTON IN END ZONE FOR A SAFETY
LB Dont'a Hightower dropped Cincinnati QB Andy Dalton in the end zone for an eight-yard sack and a safety in the third quarter. It marks his second career NFL points. He returned a fumble six yards for a touchdown in his very first NFL game at Tennessee on Sept. 9, 2012. Hightower finished with a team-leading 13 total tackles, his 14th career 10-plus tackle total. 

WHITE HAS FIRST CAREER GAME WITH TWO-TOUCHDOWN RECEPTIONS
RB James White caught touchdown receptions, with a 4-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter and a 4-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter. It is the first time in his career that he has had a game with two touchdown receptions. It is his second career two-touchdown game overall. On Nov. 23, 2015 vs. Buffalo, he scored on a 20-yard pass and a 6-yard run. 

BLOUNT ON HIGH PACE
RB LeGarrette Blount scored on a 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter for his sixth touchdown of the season. His career-best is seven rushing touchdowns in 2013 with the Patriots. He is on pace to finish the season with 13 rushing touchdowns. 

GRONKOWSKI BACK-TO-BACK 100-YARD DAYS
Rob Gronkowski had his second straight 100-yard day after finishing with 162 receiving yards. The week before at Cleveland, he finished with 109 yards receiving. It is the fifth time in his career that he has had consecutive 100-yard games. 

2011
11/06/11 NY Giants – 101 yards
11/13/11 at NY Jets – 113

2014
10/26/14 Chicago – 149 yards
11/02/14 Denver – 105 yards 

2015
09/20/15 at Buffalo – 113 yards
09/27/15 Jacksonville – 101 yards

10/25/15 NY Jets – 108 yards
10/29/15 Miami – 113 yards

2016
10/9/16 at Cleveland – 109 yards
10/16/16 Cincinnati - 162 yards

JULIAN EDELMAN IS IN A RUSH
WR Julian Edelman had an 8-yard rush in the fourth quarter. He is now tied with WR Irving Fryar for first in team history among wide receivers with 35 rushing attempts and is second with 239 rushing yards. 
Most Rushing Attempts by a Patriots Wide Receiver 
Player    Rushes
Julian Edelman    35
Irving Fryar    35
Troy Brown    29
Darryl Stingley    28
Stanley Morgan    21

Most Rushing Yards by a Patriots Wide ReceiverPlayer    Rushing Yards
Darryl Stingley    244
Julian Edelman    239
Irving Fryar    188
Troy Brown    178 

LINEUP NOTES

GENEO GRISSOM MAKES HIS 2016 DEBUT
DL Geneo Grissom made his 2016 debut in a reserve role against the Bengals. He was signed to the 53-man roster the day before the game. 

ERIC ROWE MAKES HIS PATRIOTS DEBUT
DB Eric Rowe made his debut for the Patriots after being inactive for the first games after being traded to New England from Philadelphia on Sept. 7, 2016. He finished with one tackle and one pass defensed. 

ELANDON ROBERTS MAKES FIRST NFL START
2016 sixth-round draft pick LB Elandon Roberts made his first NFL start. He became the fifth 2016 Draft pick (Joe Thuney, Jacoby Brissett, Malcom Mitchell and Ted Karras) to start a game in 2016 and the sixth 2016 Patriots rookie to start (Woodrown Hamilton).