Welcome to the Unconventional Review, an instant reaction to standouts, stats, and story lines from the Patriots’ most recent game …

CINCINNATI — For the Patriots, having the ball at the Bengals 1-yard line Sunday proved to be the longest yard.

On separate possessions, the Patriots needed 1 yard for a touchdown. Both times, they failed to convert — turning the ball over on downs on an 11-play, 89-yard drive that couldn’t quite get to 90 early in the third quarter; then settling for an Andy Borregales 19-yard field goal on a 13-play, 79-yard drive that couldn’t quite get to 80 early in the fourth.

The first drive was particularly egregious. The Patriots had six chances to score from the 1, thanks to a fourth-down pass interference penalty on the Bengals’ Dax Hill that gave them an extr

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