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CLICK HERE to Register for a free account and login for a smoother ad-free experience. It's easy, and only takes a few moments.This is a great game to start the season. Both teams have the playoff look and both should be in the playoffs, which is why this is a fun game to start. The Patriots have defensive issues, while the Bengals should have one of the NFL's best defenses. Carson Palmer will be much better this season throwing it. The fun battle here will be between New England's pass offense and those Cincinnati corners. In the end, I'll take the home team. But it will be close.
someone make a Bruschi is a moron thread.
Meh....... Bruschi is no longer a Patriot. He is paid to do analysis, but also to create controversy, because that gets the fans on both sides riled up and creates interest, and interest sells advertising. It's ALWAYS about the Benjamins in TV land. Always.
I expected to see something resembling that in the article, but it wasnt there.Tedy Bruschi and Mike Reiss preview the New England Patriots' opener against the Cincinnati Bengals - ESPN Boston
No way to sugar coat it, Bruschi thinks the defense is soft. Forget rushing the passer, if the Patriots can't stop the run with the front seven then that leads to 1:1 coverage against either TO or Chad Ochocinco.
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I expected to see something resembling that in the article, but it wasnt there.
The problem with the predictions is that we just don't plain know. Belichick and his assistants sent the D out there in the pre-season with a vanilla 3-4 with little or no scheming for anybody.
Dean Pees is gone and BB is setting the D for the Bengals. Watch out.
This is the architect of the 90s Giants and the 2000s Pats.
41-10 Pats
Bengals at Patriots
Florio's take: With Tom Brady reportedly on the brink of a new deal and Randy Moss hoping to lay the foundation for one of his own with a huge year, the Patriots' passing game could look a lot like it did in 2007. The challenges come on defense, where the Patriots have seen injuries and free-agent departures and trades erode a once-powerful unit. It won't be an easy year, but Brady's will to win should be enough to carry the team to victory in a season opener at home.
Florio's pick: Patriots 28, Bengals 20.
Rosenthal's take: Florio probably wrote some smart-ass comment about me being a Patriots homer. And yet I'm still going to play to expectations. The line is too big here, but we don't think the Bengals yet have the passing game chops to take advantage of New England's young secondary. Logic says Cincy, but the quarterback-coach edge weighs too heavily in favor of the home team.
Rosenthal's take: Patriots 24, Bengals 21.
Cincinnati at New England (-4 1/2), Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)
The Bengals won the division last year with defense and running game, but their newfound passing pop still falls short of what Tom Brady brings. That means Randy Moss getting the better of "T.Ochocinco". Patriots 23, Bengals 20.
Cincinnati (+4½) at New England: It is a better Bengals team that should be very competitive against the Patriots. Heck, even Ochocinco might get his wish by scoring a touchdown and grabbing one of the rifles to fire off. However, New England is unbeaten in home openers since Gillette Stadium opened in 2002 and we expect that to remain the case.
Patriots 24-21
Cincinnati Bengals at New England Patriots
I'm not even sure I'd call this an upset. Without Leigh Bodden in the secondary, New England goes with a very young Big East alumni corner tandem -- rookie Devin McCourty (Rutgers) and second-year man Darius Butler (UConn) are likely to start -- and Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens should have some schooling in store for them.
Meh....... Bruschi is no longer a Patriot. He is paid to do analysis, but also to create controversy, because that gets the fans on both sides riled up and creates interest, and interest sells advertising. It's ALWAYS about the Benjamins in TV land. Always.
The New England Patriots defense could be in for a long afternoon.
The Patriots better have something up their sleeves for the Cincinnati Bengals. Otherwise, Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens will have plenty to crow about. How will the Patriots contain the Bengals, who have placed an emphasis on their passing game? They added T.O. and drafted tight end Jermaine Gresham in the first round to help quarterback Carson Palmer. The Bengals have a strong enough rushing attack to keep any defense honest. Straight up, the Patriots appear to be at a disadvantage against the pass. The Patriots have the NFL's least experienced cornerbacks in Darius Butler and rookie Devin McCourty. As for a pass rush, the Patriots haven't had an effective one for a couple of years.