Muscle memory took over for Ted Karras after the Bengals arrived to Gillette Stadium on Saturday morning.
The Christmas Eve clash in Foxboro marked Karras' second game in New England as a visiting player. The versatile offensive lineman played the first four seasons of his NFL career with the Patriots and returned to New England for the 2021 campaign after a one-year stint with the Miami Dolphins.
As such, Karras has spent quite a bit of time at Gillette Stadium -- that is, the parts of the facility most frequently inhabited by Patriots players. Not included is the visitor's locker room, which Karras had a little trouble finding before the Bengals' Week 16 game.
"Ted Karras in the house," ESPN's Mike Reiss tweeted. "He initially went the wrong way, joking that he wasn't used to being a visitor."
That gaffe proved to be the only hiccup in what was a great afternoon for Karras, who won two Super Bowls during his time with the Patriots. The seventh-year pro was able to reunite with several old teammates, all of whom have a great deal of respect for the Illinois product. The Bengals also improved to 11-4 on the season with their seventh consecutive win.
Karras and company will try to keep the good times rolling in Week 16 when they host the Bills. If Cincinnati beats Buffalo and the Baltimore Ravens fall to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Bengals will win back-to-back AFC North titles for the first time since the early 1980s.
