The Cincinnati Bengals opened their 2024 campaign before a sold-out Paycor Stadium as the home team donned all orange uniforms. All the excitement and good vibes in Week 1 were quickly dashed and the New England Patriots ran right at and through the Bengals’ defensive line as Rhamondre Stevenson would finish with 120 yards rushing on 25 carries with one touchdown. The offensive side of the ball wasn’t much better as the men in stripes started slow and had costly mistakes en route to a 16-10 loss. Joe Burrow historically has struggled in openers and the first game for QB1 this season was much of the same as he couldn’t get into a rhythm. Burrow ended the day with a very pedestrian 164 yards passing going 21-29 with no touchdowns. The Bengals better quickly put this one behind them as they travel to Kansas City next Sunday.
Slow Start and Defensive Woes Doom Bengals in Week 1
Mistakes Galore
The Bengals made plenty of mistakes which cost them and led to points for the Patriots. The first big mistake was when Cincinnati was driving to tie the game when tight end Tanner Hudson fumbled before the goal line. Charlie Jones would also fumble a punt return late in the third quarter to put New England up 13-0. Giving away 10 points and losing the turnover battle by 3 certainly isn’t a recipe to win in the NFL.
Run Defense 101
The worry all off-season for the orange and black was at the defensive tackle position where they were already thin on Sunday. Well, the results left plenty to be desired as missed tackles were plentiful and the Bengals were getting gashed up the middle and on outside runs all game long. This also extended to the defensive backs who were often out of place and whiffed on numerous occasions to get the ball carrier on the ground.
.@dreeday32 IS MOVING ➡️
📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/8om9AMZcXI
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) September 8, 2024
Look for the Chiefs to attack the Bengals similarly but with more potency. There’s no time for a pity party and Zac Taylor and his staff will likely be working overtime all week.
Lack of Preparation
The most frustrating aspect of this defeat was the apparent lack of preparation as it reared its ugly head once again for Taylor to open a season. He was outclassed in every way possible by rookie head coach Jerod Mayo, offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, and defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington. They all rightfully earned the win and put together solid game plans on both sides of the ball to push the Bengals head man to 1-5 in openers since he arrived in 2019.
The NFL season is a grind and no one knows that better than center Ted Karras. After the game he noted, “We get back to practice. We’ve got to watch this and learn from it. We have the defending champs (next week) in their home stadium. Everyone is going to have to get over it pretty quick and obviously, that sucks that we lost the third consecutive opener, but it’s a long season and we’re going to be ready to go.”
The Bengals under Taylor and Burrow have been here before, it’s once again time to see if they have selective amnesia after Week 1. Sixteen more opportunities await.
Main Photo: Albert Cesare/The Enquirer-USA TODAY NETWORK
