The Patriots looked exactly like a team that had been practicing hard all summer. They seemed very prepared, physical, and executed the game plan. It wasn’t perfect but the ending was as they defeated the heavily favored Bengals 16-10 in Cincinnati.
The key was to play solid defense, run the ball, and control the clock. They accomplished all three of those things. However, to be able to hold Joe Burrow and Cincy’s offense to just 10 points on the road was a father in the cap of DeMarcus Covington and his coaches.
Jerod Mayo earned his first win as a head coach and as he said after the game, it was a big moment for him. Rhamondre Stevenson had a big game for the offense, especially during the final clock-killing drive everyone knew was coming.
This was an outstanding team win.
So, here are our grades this week for the Patriots-Bengals game.
Quarterback: C+
Once the Patriots signed Jacoby Brissett, the team knew exactly what they were getting. He’s a smart, veteran leader who doesn’t turn the ball over and plays within himself while mentoring the young quarterbacks on the roster.
He didn’t light it up, completing 15-24 passes for just 120 yards, no touchdowns, but, most importantly, no interceptions. He showed good toughness hanging in the pocket and made a couple of first downs with his legs. Something he’s not known for.
With the team’s QB play a year ago, this likely was a loss.
Running Backs: A
Rhamondre Stevenson showed why his extension was a good investment. In Alex Van Pelt’s (AVP) offense, the team wants to lean heavily on the running game. And they did in Cincinnati. Stevenson rushed 25 times for 120 yards and a touchdown. He added three catches out of the backfield.
More impressively, Stevenson gained 118 yards after contact. His production on the final drive, where the Bengals were selling out trying to stop the run, was impressive. He carried the team on his back. Antonio Gibson, questionable to play with a hip injury, played well in his first game in a Patriot uniform.
Wide Receivers: B-
The wide receivers were pretty quiet, but it was more because of Stevenson’s day. Plus, the play calls kept the receivers on short routes due to the pressure of the Bengals’ front seven.
Tyquan Thornton had two catches for 27 yards. K.J. Osborn had three catches for 21 yards, DeMario Douglas had two catches, and rookie Ja’Lynn Polk had one. The Patriots will need much more production from the group as the season progresses, but it was only the first game. And we expected it was going to take time.
Tight Ends: B
Austin Hooper had a couple of nice catches as he led all of the Patriots’ receivers with 31 yards. Hunter Henry made a pair of catches for 18 yards. Like the WRs, this is a work in progress as the group gets up to speed.
Offensive Line: B-
Saying the offensive line’s play was better than expected is a bit of an understatement. The unit has been struggling since OTAs. But they played well in the running game, frequently using an extra linemen as an eligible tight end. When your team runs for 170 yards on the ground, they’ve done a good job upfront.
The pass protection was another story. Chuks Okorafor struggled against Trey Hendrickson and was replaced by Vederian Lowe. But he didn’t fare any better. Brissett was sacked only once but was hit seven times and hurried on many others.
Layden Robinson started his first NFL game and played very well. We’ll see how the coaches try to improve the protection in Week 2.
Defensive Line: A
The defensive line played the run very well in Cincinnati. The Bengals entered the game with a pair of backs, Zach Moss and Chase Brown, and envisioned improving the overall running game. But they could only muster 70 yards against a good defensive effort by the Patriots’ defensive line.
Keion White backed up all the praise he’s been receiving this offseason. He began his Year 2 with a bang, garnering 2.5 sacks, three QB hits, two TFLs, a forced fumble, and provided good penetration all game long.
Overall, the Patriots controlled both lines of scrimmage, which is an encouraging sign.
Linebackers: A-
The linebackers combined with the DL for an outstanding performance against Cincinnati’s very talented offense. Having the two big guys in the middle was impressive, as they led the charge, as usual.
We mentioned the DLine’s performance. When they’re doing their job, the linebackers clean up. And that is precisely what Ja’Whaun Bentley did. He led the Patriots with 12 tackles, (seven solo), a half-sack, and a QB hit. Jahlani Tavai had four tackles, two TFLs, and a pass defensed. Josh Uche pressured Burrow to step up in the pocket and right into White, who was crashing the middle.
Secondary: A
The secondary held Joe Burrow and Cincinnati to just 164 yards passing with 0 touchdowns. To do so in Cincinnati makes it even more impressive.
Christian Gonzalez quieted a lot of the criticism leveled at him all summer by doing a great job of covering JaMarr Chase. The secondary played a lot of zone coverage in this one, much like they did against Cincinnati in New England in late 2022.
Kyle Dugger had six tackles and a huge forced fumble on the Patriots’ two-yard line, saving a touchdown. Marcus Jones scooped up the ball and returned it 17 yards. Jonathan Jones made an outstanding play by racing over from the middle to tackle Andre Iosivas, who was short of the sticks and ended a Bengals drive.
Jabrill Peppers was questionable to play but was all over the field, making six tackles. This was just an outstanding effort from the entire unit. It should be noted that the Patriots’ tackling was in mid-season form.
Special Teams: B+
The ST units were very good. And it was a welcome sight. Joey Slye, the new kicker, was a perfect 3-3 on field goal attempts while converting the only extra point of the day. Bryce Barringer averaged 50 yards per punt on his five punts of the day.
The coverage units were solid, with Brendan Schooler notching a couple of solid plays. Joe Cardona forced a fumble on a punt, while returners JaMycal Hasty had a 27-yard kickoff return, and Marcus Jones had a 10-yard punt return.
We have to mention the 80-yard punt by the Bengals’ Ryan Rehkow. It missed rolling out of bounds at the one-yard line by mere inches. That was impressive. Not bad for a guy playing in his first NFL game.
Coaches: A-
It was good to see Jerod Mayo start off his head coaching career with a solid win. He had the team prepared, focused, and ready to go. They were the better team, and his training camp/preseason, where he played all of his players, paid dividends. The Bengals, on the other hand, barely played their starters in preseason, and it showed.
DeMarcus Covington and Alex Van Pelt did just fine in their Patriots debuts. Covington, who has been a Patriot defensive coach with many of the same players, has an advanced feel for his players at this juncture, but Mayo has to be pleased with how the staff handled things.
Special Team’s coach Jeremy Springer has his players in a much better position than they were a year ago. All in All, this was an excellent start for the staff.
We’re on to Seattle….
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A former US Army Special Forces NCO and Officer, Steve has been following the Patriots since their days at Fenway Park. Steve has worked in the film industry and wrote as an Military Editor at SpecialOperations.com, 1945.com as a reporter for the Millbury Daily Voice, Millbury-Sutton Chronicle, and the Grafton News. He's also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA)
Good breakdown, as always. I think something I haven’t heard said is that, for such a new team to get to tough, disciplined, effective football on the road this fast, they could grow like weeds compared to teams around them. It looks like good coaching, player buy-in and some pieces we don’t even know yet (ex.Layden Robinson). It takes time to make a team game-ready and they seem to be ahead of the curve now that the games have started. We don’t even know what they were trying to do in the pre-season. And God, I love Schooler. Just had… Read more »
Well, right now, they’re playing with house money because the narrative hasn’t changed. Most people still believe that they’ll be one of, if not the worst team in the league.
And they can use that “Us against the World” mentality that many former Patriots teams used, even the great ones. Offensively, the passing game is still a long way off.
But, defensively, they looked to be in mid-season form. That will keep them in most games. We’ll see. Thanks Jim