A Nov. 23 game at Cincinnati could get more challenging for the Patriots.

Sidelined since Week 2 with turf toe, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow returned to practice on Monday. Per NFL rules, Cincinnati now has 21 days to add him to the active roster from injured reserve.

“To continue the recovery process for QB Joe Burrow, the Bengals today advanced him for a limited return to practice so he can begin progressing on-field activities," the team announced.

Burrow was originally expected to miss three months, but after undergoing surgery on Sept. 19, it appears the Pro Bowler is ahead of schedule.

With backups Jake Browning and Joe Flacco at the helm, Cincinnati has gone 1-6, but they’ve received little help from a porous defense. The Bengals currently rank dead last in both scoring defense (33.3 points per game) and total defense (426.6 yards per game), so it’s been an uphill climb for any Cincinnati quarterback getting under center.