CINCINNATI — Possibly one of the best factor to occur to Patriots cornerback Carlton Davis on Sunday was the go interference penalty he drew within the fourth quarter.
Matched up with Bengals receiver Tee Higgins deep down the appropriate sideline, Davis dove to drive an incompletion that resulted a 27-yard penalty and vaulted Cincinnati contained in the purple zone. One play later, the Bengals scored a landing to chop their deficit to a few factors.
“That s— was BS as a result of (Higgins) is a much bigger receiver, before everything, and he’s a bodily receiver. And if you happen to ever simply watch his movie, when he’s on a go ball, he’s continuously attempting to create slight separation,” Davis mentioned. “So I might flip round and play the ball, however … as quickly as you flip round, he’ll offer you a bit of nudge, and now you’re out of vary of the ball.
“So I simply performed via the arms, he was tugging, tugging and I simply — increase — performed bodily.”
Regardless of the penalty, Davis’ physicality didn’t cease. However the flags did.
Davis had three go breakups on Cincinnati’s ultimate drive, a 13-play sequence that resulted in a turnover on downs when Marcus Jones deflected a fourth-down go meant for tight finish Mike Gesicki within the ultimate seconds. Pats coach Mike Vrabel praised Davis’ psychological toughness after the sport.
“To have that (penalty) referred to as on you after which come over there and problem and end (the sport),” Vrabel mentioned, “is a testomony to him.”
Davis and Jones recorded all 5 of the Patriots’ go breakups Sunday, serving to maintain the Bengals to 13 offensive factors. Jones additionally had a pick-six within the second quarter.
After the win, Davis explicitly mentioned the flag motivated him to complete robust on Cincinnati’s ultimate drive.
“That s— made me mad as f— as a result of it was already (the) fourth quarter, and I felt like I put my workforce in a nasty place when it was a BS name, and now they’re in area purpose vary and so they’re contained in the purple zone,” Davis mentioned. “After which we hand over a landing. So I’m simply mad about it as a result of I’m understanding the place (we’re in), and what all transpired since that (penalty).
“And so, that s— actually simply lit a fireplace below me. Like, I promise you I’m not going to let this recreation slip out of our arms.”
