ESPN

The New England Patriots' road game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday (1 p.m. ET) will be broadcast on CBS, with Greg Gumbel (play-by-play) and Dan Dierdorf (analysis) on the call.

This is the second time that the Gumbel-Dierdorf duo has been assigned a Patriots game in 2013, as they called the opener against the Buffalo Bills.

Patriots 2013 television lineup
at Bills: Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf/Tracy Wolfson (CBS)
vs. Jets: Brad Nessler/Mike Mayock/Alex Flanagan (NFL Network)
vs. Buccaneers: Kevin Burkhardt/John Lynch/Erin Andrews (Fox)
at Falcons: Al Michaels/Cris Collinsworth/Michele Tafoya (NBC)
at Bengals: Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf (CBS)

Once the bottom-dweller of the AFC North, the Cincinnati Bengals rapidly have turned their franchise fortunes around and are now considered a playoff contender for the third straight season.

They’ve been a wild card entrant in the playoffs each of the past two seasons. Both times on the strength of an attacking defense and offense led by young talent, specifically wide receiver A.J. Green. One of the signature moments for the franchise in recent seasons was a trade that sent virtually retired Carson Palmer to the Raiders in exchange for a pair of drafts picks that ended up bringing cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick and running back Giovani Bernard. Bernard was their second round pick this season.

The Patriots haven’t faced the Bengals since their resurgence to playoff contention, so for those less familiar with Cincinnati’s core, below is a primer of names and faces of note.

Record: 2-2 (T-1st in AFC North)
Head coach: Marvin Lewis (11th season)
Offensive coordinator: Jay Gruden
Defensive coordinator: Mike Zimmer

THREE PLAYERS TO KNOW, OFFENSE
1. Wide receiver A.J. Green. Just a week after facing Julio Jones, the Patriots secondary gets a chance to square off against the one receiver selected ahead of Jones back in 2011. Since being drafted fourth overall, Green has been a touchdown machine for Cincinnati, posting 21 in his first two-plus seasons. The 6-foot-4, 207-pounder has terrific speed, exceptional hands and can run the full route tree. The Bengals love to let him use his leaping ability in the red zone and he has the full trust of quarterback Andy Dalton.

2. Running back Giovani Bernard. The exciting second-round rookie out of North Carolina has taken the Bengals' backfield by storm in recent weeks, cutting into the workload of former Patriots running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis. Bernard is an explosive and shifty 5-foo-9 back who catches the ball exceptionally well and will regularly make defenders miss in the hole. Green-Ellis is still very much a part of the Bengals' running back rotation, but Bernard already has proven that he’s a star in the making.

3. Quarterbac Andy Dalton. There are split opinions on Dalton. Many will point to his win total and the fact that he has reached the playoffs in each of his first two seasons as indicators that the Bengals have the right quarterback to lead the franchise. But the eye test suggests an inconsistent performer who some believe is closer to a game manager than an elite signal-caller. For now, Dalton is the go-to guy under center.

THREE PLAYERS TO KNOW, DEFENSE
1. Defensive tackle Geno Atkins. There may be no more underrated player around the league than Atkins, a recent recipient of a huge contract extension and a 2012 All-Pro. Atkins, who generated 12.5 sacks last season, offers the complete package as an interior force, as he is formidable against the run and can rush the passer with an impressive combination of quickness, power and relentless pursuit. The Georgia product will draw the attention of the Patriots' interior line all day.

2. Defensive end Carlos Dunlap/defensive end Michael Johnson. Both of these young defensive ends got paid this offseason, though in different ways. Johnson was the recipient of the franchise tag that entitled him to an eight-figure contract for this season. Dunalp, similar to Atkins, was handed a lucrative extension that reaffirms he is a major part of the Bengals' defensive plans. Zimmer will generate pressure with his schemes, but these two bookends possess a nightmare for offensive tackles with just their skills. Sebastian Vollmer's would be a major boon for the Patriots' offensive line.

3. Linebacker Vontaze Burfict. Undrafted after an underwhelming combine and pre-draft process in 2012, Burfict quickly made the Bengals look wise for investing in him by having one of the best seasons among any rookie defenders. He’s off to a great start for the Bengals again this season. He leads the team in tackles and added an interception during the team’s season opener. A capable player against the run and the pass, Burfict quickly has immersed himself as a centerpiece for the Bengals' linebacker group.

NOTES: Starting cornerbacks Kirkpatrick and Leon Hall were each inactive in Week 4 and have been dealing with injury issues lately. ... The Bengals have an enviable two-tight-end package centered around a pair of first-round picks: Jermaine Gresham (2010) and their top choice this year, Tyler Eifert. ... Left tackle Andrew Whitworth has battled injuries in the early goings this season, but he’s back in the lineup now. ... A familiar face has transitioned smoothly to a new AFC North team, as James Harrison dropped the black and yellow of Pittsburgh for the tiger stripes in Cincinnati.

Picked-up pieces from review of the New England Patriots’ 30-23 victory over the Atlanta Falcons:

1. It wasn’t necessarily one play, but in re-watching the way the game unfolded, the Patriots’ offensive approach seemed to reflect Bill Belichick’s belief that bigger is most often better. The Falcons’ biggest defensive tackle is Corey Peters (6-3, 305) and in terms of physical makeup, he’d compare closest to Patriots defensive tackle Joe Vellano. Think of it this way: When speaking of Vellano in the Patriots’ system, he is sometimes referred to as undersized. It’s not that a smaller defense can’t be successful, but for teams that trend in that direction, the risk is what happened Sunday night when the Patriots overpowered them at times (e.g. Brandon Bolden dragging defenders nearly into the end zone), and offensive linemen easily turned them to create running lanes at other times.

2. Unlike last week, when Aqib Talib followed Buccaneers receiver Vincent Jackson all over the field, Talib mixed and matched between Roddy White and Julio Jones. Seemed almost close to a 50-50 split.

3. Safety can be a difficult position to get a feel for during a game. It’s a spot where the player can really do everything right and not be a huge factor in the game because the ball might not come his way. Other times, safety play stands out as exemplary and Devin McCourty turned in one example of this on the Falcons’ opening drive. The Falcons had success on the drive, delivering a solid initial blow to the Patriots, and had first-and-goal from the 6. They set up a wide receiver screen to Julio Jones on the left side and McCourty’s combination of recognition, instincts and willingness to tackle led to a tackle of Jones for a 1-yard gain. NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth said he wasn’t sure how McCourty sliced through bigger-bodied offensive linemen to make the play, which was an astute observation.

4. Something a bit outside the box that showed up at times was defensive lineman Tommy Kelly lining up about 2 yards back from the line of scrimmage, but remaining in a three-point stance before he rushed. The first time it was seen was on a third-and-20 play with 4:04 remaining in the first quarter (incomplete pass). Bill Belichick explained Monday on sports radio WEEI that it’s similar to when a linebacker blitzes and one of the benefits of doing that is having a little more space/time can clear things up with how the offensive line slides and the protection will go.

5. With two illegal shift penalties, a delay-of-game penalty and a botched center/quarterback exchange on a fourth-and-inches play that would have essentially sealed the game, there’s still plenty of areas that the coaching staff can drill into the offense this week. It was sloppy at times on offense.

6. The Patriots’ play-action statistics were off the charts in this game, with the tone set on quarterback Tom Brady’s first attempt, a 15-yarder to fullback James Develin. Falcons linebackers seemed to bite hard against the run throughout and the Patriots capitalized.

7. The main job of a receiver is to get open and catch the ball, as Bill Belichick sometimes reminds. Blocking in the running game isn’t often discussed, but that’s an area where rookie receiver Aaron Dobson showed up multiple times. He’s not afraid to get physical.

8. Rookie defensive end Michael Buchanan (6-6, 255) runs well enough that coaches have him on the kickoff coverage unit. The unit hasn’t had many kickoffs to cover because Stephen Gostkowski has 20 touchbacks in 22 attempts this season, but on a second-quarter return, Buchanan made the tackle on a nice play. Buchanan (seventh round, Illinois) is mostly making his mark as a sub rusher (25 snaps Sunday) but his work on special teams adds to his value.

9. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady told NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth that rookie receiver Kenbrell Thompkins reminds him of Chad Johnson, Collinsworth said after the two combined for a 49-yard long bomb. Thompkins is wearing the same “ocho cinco” as Johnson, but his results in the team’s system have already been decisively better.

10. Rookie defensive tackle Joe Vellano’s third-quarter sack, which was one of the big defensive plays of the game for the Patriots, was a reminder that draft status means little. Vellano (undrafted) earned the decisive victory over second-year center Peter Konz (second round). Likewise on Kenbrell Thompkins (undrafted) with his diving 18-yard touchdown catch over cornerback Desmond Trufant (first round) in the fourth quarter.

Appearing at halftime of the "Monday Night Football" radio broadcast on Westwood One, Tom Brady commented on Vince Wilfork's season-ending injury. Here's a transcript of what he said:

"Well, to say we'll miss him is an understatement. His presence in the locker room and on the field is really unmatched, so it will be a team effort. I know Coach Belichick said there's no Vince Wilforks on the street corner waiting to sign with the Patriots, which is the truth, but we're going to have to find a way to -- in a group effort -- replace such a valuable player. And he'll be around, his spirit, his leadership, he'll still have a big impact on our team. But he's been a great player for a long time and everyone's disappointed about his injury."

On if he can gauge what it does to the morale of the team when you lose such a player of that level of importance:

"Yeah, well, initially there's a blow to the team morale in that you wonder who's going to fill in that spot and who's going to take the void of such a great player. But then as soon as you get into the week, you start thinking about your job, how much you need to do and what the coaches are asking you, and then you really leave it to coach to think of the things that he can do now to help replace a guy like Vince as well as personnel. So injuries are really a part of the game and I think we've learned over the years that there's not one player that makes the team. Certainly losing a guy like
Vince doesn't help our team in any way, but we're going to have to find somebody to go in there and do the job of that nose tackle position and do it to the level that they're capable of. It's a team sport so the rest of the team has to pick up the pieces."

On if he sensed the severity of the injury when it occurred:

"I wasn't sure of the severity, I know that Vince never really goes down and stays on the ground so when he came over to the sideline and I went over and tapped him on the shoulder to ask him how he felt and he just kind of nodded his head which, I knew at that point that it wasn't a minor injury. He's as tough as they come. He's been durable, consistent. Like I said, his leadership and his ability to motivate the other players on the defensive side of the ball has been one of the best I've ever seen. So we'll miss him, we'll miss him for the rest of the year, but I know he'll come
back next year strong and as determined as ever."

On Rob Gronkowski and his injury status:

"He's been on the active roster for the last four weeks and I've seen him every day working as hard as he can to get back. So it ends up being a medical decision and that's not my role. So I'm just waiting for the day that he does get back because he adds so much to our offense. Every week that he's been out there he's made significant improvement. So it'll be great when he's back and it'll be great when we get Danny Amendola back and Shane Vereen back and finally we can see what our offense is really made of. Whether that's this week or the following week or the following week. I mean those things are really not determined by me."

The New England Patriots announced the release of defensive back Kanorris Davis on Monday afternoon, bringing their active roster down to 52 players.

Davis was promoted from the practice squad on Saturday afternoon to play a core special-teams role, logging 16 snaps on Sunday night and appearing on all four core special-teams units.

The undrafted rookie out of Troy is now subject to the league's waiver system. If he goes unclaimed on waivers Tuesday, he seems like a strong candidate to be re-signed to the practice squad.

ATLANTA -- Snaps played by New England Patriots defenders in Sunday’s 30-23 win against the Atlanta Falcons, while analyzing what it means (as charted in press box, small margin for error):

S Steve Gregory – 76 of 76
DE Chandler Jones – 76 of 76
LB Jerod Mayo – 76 of 76
S Devin McCourty – 76 of 76
DE Rob Ninkovich – 76 of 76
CB Aqib Talib – 76 of 76
CB Alfonzo Dennard – 75 of 76
CB Kyle Arrington – 70 of 76
DT Tommy Kelly – 59 of 76
LB Dont'a Hightower – 49 of 76
DT Joe Vellano – 33 of 76
DE Michael Buchanan – 25 of 76
DT Chris Jones – 20 of 76
CB Logan Ryan – 20 of 76
LB Jamie Collins – 12 of 76
DT Vince Wilfork – 10 of 76
LB Brandon Spikes – 6 of 76
S Duron Harmon – 1 of 76

(Penalties included.)

ANALYSIS: With Wilfork exiting late in the first series, the team’s defensive tackle rotation in his absence is notable, as it reflects how the team might attempt to fill his void. Kelly led the way with 59 snaps as the team relied on him more than it has to this point of the season. Kelly’s previous snap counts were 35, 46 and 40 as he has come out of the game in some sub situations. Meanwhile, Vellano’s 33 snaps were a season high, and fellow rookie Chris Jones’ debut included a higher-than-anticipated total of 20 snaps. … Spikes’ low snap total (6) is reflective of how the Patriots played most of the game in sub packages, and Spikes doesn’t appear to be viewed by the coaching staff as a good fit in a coverage role. Hightower is getting the majority of those linebacker snaps in sub, while top draft pick Collins got his feet wet in the first half, and there looked to be some early growing pains. … Ryan, a rookie, played all 20 of his snaps in the second half, with 19 coming in the dime package, which seemed to be an in-game adjustment aimed at containing tight end Tony Gonzalez. … At cornerback, Dennard was bumped up the depth chart to the No. 2 role, over Arrington, in the base defense. But Arrington was basically a starter as the slot cornerback, because the Patriots were in sub packages for all but six snaps. The one play Dennard missed was the final defensive snap as he had hobbled off.

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick confirmed Monday afternoon what was reported earlier in the day: star defensive lineman Vince Wilfork’s season is likely over.

Wilfork left Sunday night’s game in the first quarter with what was reported to be a torn right Achilles tendon.

“It doesn’t look too good for Vince,” Belichick said during his weekly interview on Boston sports radio station WEEI. “I think he’s got a pretty serious injury and it’s probably unlikely that he’ll be able to play again this year.”

Wilfork, one of the team's captains, is a perennial Pro Bowler and vital cog to the team's defense, particularly against the run.

“Clearly, there are no Vince Wilforks just standing around out there on the corner waiting to sign with the Patriots or some other NFL team,” Belichick said during his WEEI interview. “He is a special player, one of the very best at his position. There’s no way that you would replace him with one guy, that’s totally unrealistic. But we’ll try to do what we can to make our team as competitive as possible with the 46 guys we put out there against Cincinnati this Sunday.”

A review of four hot issues following the New England Patriots' 30-23 victory over the Atlanta Falcons:

Life without Big Vince: With news that defensive tackle Vince Wilfork has a torn right Achilles, the Patriots now face life without one of their top players. How will they proceed? Wilfork’s value to the team, and the Patriots’ options to replace him, have been dissected and analyzed. Patriots coach Bill Belichick also shared some thoughts on rookies Joe Vellano and Chris Jones, who bump up the depth chart behind starter Tommy Kelly. The Patriots have had experience dealing with big injuries in the past, and this is one of the more significant ones based on Wilfork’s on-field and leadership contributions.

Other injuries to monitor: Alfonzo Dennard, elevated to the starting cornerback spot opposite Aqib Talib in the base defense, hobbled off late in the game and didn’t finish. Also, rookie receiver Aaron Dobson sustained a neck injury in the second half and never returned. Dobson has been working as the No. 3 receiver.

Gronkowski and Amendola close to returns? Tight end Rob Gronkowski and receiver Danny Amendola didn’t make the trip to Atlanta and now the focus turns to their availability for Sunday’s game in Cincinnati. Gronkowski’s murky status was detailed within the context of those in his inner “circle” having some reservations about him playing. Meanwhile, Amendola, we believe, has a good chance of making his return Sunday.

Defense answers the challenge: One of the big questions facing the Patriots was if the performance of the defense through the first three weeks was more a result of playing weak competition. Few, if any, would put quarterback Matt Ryan and the Falcons’ explosive attack in that category. Thus, the general perception of the Patriots’ defense seems to be shifting a bit. This is a solid unit, sparked by the standout play of Talib.

Less than 12 hours after news broke that Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork had suffered an Achilles tear that will likely shelve him for the remainder of this season, his teammates spoke about his impact -- one that transcends what the box score says.

"Obviously Vince is a huge asset to our team not only on the field, but off the field," fellow defensive captain Jerod Mayo said. "And he's a great leader, he demands double teams in the run game and he also coordinates some of the rushes in the passing game as well."

For Mayo, losing Wilfork doesn't just mean having to play without the team's best defensive lineman and one that clears space for him and his fellow linebackers to run around, but it also affects him personally, as he and Wilfork are close friends.

"Obviously Vince has been a staple for a long time and he rarely goes down with an injury, so it's very shocking and surprising to see my friend go down like that," he said.

Guard Logan Mankins, another team captain that has worked opposite of Wilfork during innumerable practices, understands the value of what the burly nose tackle brings to the defense.

"Vince is a big-time challenge," he said. "Not only [is he] strong and powerful, but he's quick for a man his size and he's a smart player."

While Wilfork is often thought about in regards to his run defense contributions -- he's the foundation for the Patriots in that sense -- he is a productive member of the team's pass rush, too.

"He just pushes the pocket, he's always collapsing the inside and helps the edge rush," Mankins said of Wilfork as a rusher. "He just does so many things for us."

As was the case last night when Wilfork departed the game in the first quarter, the Patriots will fall back on their tried-and-true remedy when there's an injury.

"We always talk about next man up, and we have a lot of talented guys on our team," Mayo said. "I think Vince got hurt in the first quarter yesterday and guys stepped up and played well for him. We ended up getting the victory, which is always a good thing, but that's our mentality, next man up."

On Sunday night, it was a pair of rookies, Joe Vellano and Chris Jones, who wound up earning more playing time than they've been accustomed to (it was Jones' Patriots debut), and they held their own, helping to limit Atlanta to just 58 yards rushing.

"Those guys, they play hard, they're always in the film room," Mayo said of Vellano and Jones. "The coaches always have them ready to go and I think football is all about preparation during the week, and those guys prepare well and came in the game and did some good things."

With defensive tackle Vince Wilfork tearing his Achilles, it shines a brighter spotlight on the team's remaining personnel at the position.

Veteran Tommy Kelly was the starter alongside Wilfork, with rookies Joe Vellano, 24, and Chris Jones, 23, in the third and fourth spots on the depth chart.

Vellano (undrafted free agent) and Jones (waiver pickup Sept. 11 after being dropped by the Texans and then the Bucs) are lower-profile players and Bill Belichick was asked about them Monday:

• On Vellano: “Joe’s a hard-working kid. He was a productive player in college. He played a lot of spots at Maryland. He played end, he played tackle, he played some on the nose.

“He’s got good instincts, kind of has a nose for the ball, good feel for what’s going on. He’s really worked hard to first come in as an undrafted player and earn a spot on the roster. He had an opportunity to get some playing time as we went through the preseason and he took advantage of those opportunities. He made a few plays, had some production. That led to a little bit more opportunity.

“There’s a lot of things that’s he’s improved in in terms of technique and recognition and reaction. He’s making progress. He works hard every day. He’s the first one on and last one off the field or close to it, puts in a lot of extra time, tries to get better at the things he needs to work on and that’s helped him.”

• On Jones: “This was the first game he was active for us. He’s had a couple of weeks of practice, a lot of meetings with coach [Patrick] Graham, extra work on the field before and after practice, especially after practice, one on one and different group drills that we do. I think he’s getting a better familiarity with our system and our communication, the techniques that we play. He did some of those in Houston, where he played both nose and end in a 3-4 scheme. ...

"Overall he’s getting familiar with what we do. Our calls, his assignments, block reaction, all those kind of things have been better over the past couple of weeks and he was active for the game. He had an opportunity to play some last night. Hopefully he can build on that.”

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick didn’t shed any new light on Vince Wilfork's Achilles injury on Monday morning, telling reporters on a conference call that the defensive lineman was undergoing tests but he otherwise did not have information on his injury.

“I really don’t know much right now,” Belichick said, adding that with the late game Sunday and traveling back Monday, he hasn’t had a chance to talk to the medical staff.

Wilfork left Sunday night’s victory against the Falcons in the first quarter and did not return. A league source indicated early Monday that the injury was a torn right Achillies and would likely sideline him for the season.

“He’s a great player, we all know that, and he gives us great leadership,” Belichick said. “He’s a strong contributor on and off the field and in the locker room. ... We’ll just have to see how things come together for him. Obviously if he’s not there, everybody will have to pull a little bit more weight on their end.”

Belichick did indicate he might have more information later Monday.

“It’ll all come together here at some point during the day,” he said.