Key players and storylines to watch in Bengals vs. Patriots

The Cincinnati Bengals have a playoff spot in hand as they play the New England Patriots on Saturday afternoon, Christmas Eve.

But they want quite a bit more.

A playoff berth is nice, but the team would like to keep its game lead in the AFC North and compete for the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

To do that, Joe Burrow and Co. have to avoid a letdown against a .500 club with issues across the board, including struggles at quarterback and droves of injury woes.

Before kickoff, here’s a look at key players and storylines to know about the wintery matchup in Foxboro.