{"id":55664,"date":"2024-09-05T10:04:41","date_gmt":"2024-09-05T14:04:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/?p=55664"},"modified":"2024-09-05T10:07:19","modified_gmt":"2024-09-05T14:07:19","slug":"patriots-bengals-week-1-2024-key-matchups-a-new-beginning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2024\/09\/05\/patriots-bengals-week-1-2024-key-matchups-a-new-beginning\/","title":{"rendered":"Patriots &#8211; Bengals Week 1 2024 Key Matchups, A New Beginning\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Patriots begin the 2024 season on the road against the AFC North\u2019s Cincinnati Bengals. Kickoff is slated for 1:05 p.m. on Sunday. We\u2019re on to Cincinnati.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CBS will broadcast this week&#8217;s game, which can be seen locally on WBZ-TV Channel 4. Ian Eagle will handle play-by-play duties with Charles Davis as the color analyst. Evan Washburn will provide updates from the sidelines. The game will also be aired on the Patriots flagship radio station, 98.5 The Sports Hub, with Bob Socci and Scott Zolak on the call, produced by Marc Capello.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We at <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PatsFans.com<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are continuing our \u201cRazor\u2019s Edge\u201d column in 2024 to analyze some of the game&#8217;s key matchups and what to expect in the game&#8217;s outcome.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Some Quick Notes:<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From Patriots.com: This year\u2019s opening-day roster has 28 different players from last year\u2019s 53 players who opened against the Eagles.\u00a0 The rebuild has only just begun.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The last time the Patriots had an opening-day kick return for a touchdown was back in 2010, when Brandon Tate had a 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>The Bengals Are Primed For a Big Season<\/b> <b>\u2014<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Bengals play in the very tough AFC North with Baltimore, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh. After a down year in 2023, the team looks to be one that will challenge for the division crown again and perhaps a deep playoff run.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are some quick notes on the Bengals before facing the Patriots in Week 1.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The team is expected to have WR Ja\u2019Marr Chase available for the game. He\u2019s been embroiled in a contract dispute but returned to practice on Wednesday. &#8220;I saw him out there today. He looks fast and strong like he always does,&#8221; QB Joe Burrow said after practice. &#8220;I know he&#8217;s been doing what he needs to do to stay ready if he needs to be ready. I&#8217;m confident that if he does go out there on Sunday, then he&#8217;ll be the Ja&#8217;Marr we all know.&#8221;<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Bengals&#8217; run defense was its Achilles Heel in 2023. Last year, the Bengals allowed more than 136 yards per game and 4.4 yards per carry. They believe they\u2019ve fixed those issues, but it will be a key area to watch.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Burrow\u2019s wrist surgery seems to be completely healed. He\u2019s been wearing a glove that helps with his grip. However, Burrow stated that he feels better than any season opener since his rookie year in 2020.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cincinnati\u2019s offense looks loaded this season. Burrow has WRs Chase and Tee Higgins and tall slot receiver Andre Iosivas (more on him below). The Bengals kept five (5) tight ends, including Erick All and Mike Gesicki. The team scrapped long-time back Joe Mixon and replaced him with Zack Moss and Chase Brown, giving them more versatility and breakaway speed.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Top draft choice RT Amarius Mims has been banged up and isn\u2019t expected to play this week. In his stead, former Patriot Trent Brown will play.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So now we can look at some key matchups and who holds the Razor\u2019s Edge. First up is the Patriots offense:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Patriots RBs vs. Bengals Front Seven <\/b><b>\u2014<\/b> <i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Edge New England<\/span><\/i><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Patriots&#8217; running game is critical to Alex Van Pelt\u2019s offensive philosophy. They want to run the ball and use play-action passing and bootlegs to throw it down the field, attacking the perimeter and the seams. They have a good 1-2 punch with Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson, with JaMycal Hasty as the change of pace back.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gibson has done well, especially in AVP\u2019s zone-running system. Cincinnati brought in Sheldon Rankins to help with their leaky run defense of a year ago. If the Patriots are to be successful, the offensive line has to get to the second level and allow Stevenson and Gibson to reach beyond the line of scrimmage before getting hit.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Look for Cincinnati to prioritize stopping the run, stacking the box, using run blitzes to stop the run, and daring Jacoby Brissett to beat them by throwing the ball. However, the Patriots get the slight edge here.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Patriots WRs vs. Bengals Secondary <\/b><b>\u2014<\/b> <i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Edge Cincinnati<\/span><\/i><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Patriots&#8217; passing game will ultimately hinge on whether they can pass protect this season, and they begin the season with a tough test. And we really don\u2019t know who the Patriots\u2019 starting tackles will be yet. Although Vederian Lowe returned to practice on Wednesday, will it be him or Chuks Okarafor at LT? Mike Onwenu has been practicing at RT, but they may still have some shuffling to do.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is not an optimistic sign against a Bengals front seven, including Trey Hendrickson (17.5 sacks and 16 TFL in 2023) and Sam Hubbard. Bengals DC Lou Anarumo likes to disguise his coverages and bring pressure from different points of the defense. Will the OL be able to pick up these pressures? We\u2019ll see. Hendrickson against Okarafor\/Lowe is the matchup to watch.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The team may opt for heavier packages and use max protection on some passing plays to give Brissett time to throw. I expect him to use Demario Douglas out of the slot, Hunter Henry, and Antonio Gibson a lot in the early going. They will attempt some shots down the field with Tyquan Thornton and K.J. Osborn if he has time to throw. Look for some deep crossers as well. I expect rookies Ja\u2019Lynn Polk and Javon Baker to play only sparingly in the opener, but they should each see some work. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Next up, the Bengals offense<\/span><b>:<\/b><\/p>\n<h3><b>Bengals RBs vs. NE Front Seven <\/b><b>\u2014<\/b> <i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Edge New England<\/span><\/i><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Bengals&#8217; running game was mired in neutral a year ago, averaging only 89.8 yards per game, which was 31st in the NFL. They traded Joe Mixon and replaced him with Zach Moss and Chase Brown, giving them more speed and versatility. A couple of Cincy\u2019s offensive linemen will look familiar. Center Ted Karras and RT Trent Brown are former Patriots.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Patriots&#8217; run defense was #1 in yards per attempt a year ago, and most players remain the same. Devon Godchaux is the anchor in the middle, and Jeremiah Pharms or Daniel Ekuale will replace Christian Barmore until he\u2019s healed from blood clots. Jahlani Tavai and Ja\u2019Whaun Bentley are excellent run-stuffers in the middle.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I expect the Patriots to be able to handle Cincinnati&#8217;s running game, which I believe will not be the Bengals&#8217; top choice for attacking the Patriots&#8217; defense.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Bengals WRs vs. NE Secondary <\/b><b>\u2014<\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Edge Cincinnati<\/span><\/i><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Cincy passing game relies on spreading the field with Chase, Higgins, and Iosivas, forcing the defense to show its coverage. A year ago, they ran the spread at the highest rate in the league.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Iosivas (pronounced Yo See Vahsh) will be an intriguing player to watch. The slot receiver is 6\u20193, 212, and has a pronounced height advantage over slot corner Marcus Jones. When the Patriots last played Cincinnati in 2022, they played mainly zone coverage due to the Bengals&#8217; size advantage across the board.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This year, cornerbacks Christian Gonzalez, Jon Jones, and Marcus Jones, along with safeties Kyle Dugger, Jabrill Peppers, and Jaylinn Hawkins, present an intriguing chess match.\u00a0 I expect Cincinnati to come out throwing the ball and trying to assert their will. This will be a big test for the Patriots secondary, which could use a productive pass rush to throw off Burrow\u2019s timing.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Special Teams <\/b><b>\u2014<\/b><b>\u00a0 <\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Edge Cincinnati<\/span><\/i><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Patriots special teams units were, in a word \u2026awful a year ago. They have been much improved this preseason. Joey Slye beat out incumbent Chad Ryland at kicker this summer, Bryce Barringer has been launching punts 50+ yards with great hang time, and they\u2019ve got several solid returns in the kick return department. They also get back Marcus Jones, a dangerous punt returner in 2022.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All of this is cause for optimism\u2026 right? But I will hold back on that optimistic approach until I see it in a regular-season game.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cincy has an excellent kicker in Evan MacPherson, a good punt returner in Charlie Jones, and a kick returner in Trayveon Williams. So, I\u2019m giving the Bengals a slight advantage here for Sunday.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Next up, who wins and why\u2026<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Patriots are in the middle of a rebuild. They are not competing for a playoff spot in 2024, but we\u2019ll see how far they\u2019ve come to this point against a good Cincinnati team.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Keys to the Game from a Patriots Perspective:<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><b>Run The Ball Effectively, especially on Early Downs <\/b><b>\u2014 <\/b><b>\u00a0<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Look for the Patriots to try establishing the run<\/span><b>,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> which will take some pressure off the offensive line and Brissett. This will give them much more manageable third downs to convert and keep the chains moving, allowing the offense to find a rhythm.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Getting Stevenson off to a productive start is imperative for the offense. Of course, the Bengals know this and will prioritize stopping the run. If the Patriots can establish the run, they have a decent shot at a Week 1 upset.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Hit Some Big Plays <\/b><b>\u2014<\/b> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Bengals and other opponents will not respect the Patriots&#8217; passing game until they are given reason to.\u00a0 We saw this a year ago, and with a new offensive philosophy, the team will feature play-action passing and take shots down the field. This is a staple of AVP\u2019s offense.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Due to the leaky offensive line, they may not get many chances to take shots down the field, but they\u2019ll have to capitalize when they do. They have some concepts that will allow them to get some big chunk plays, but like everything else, it all comes down to execution.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Get Consistent Pressure On Burrow \u2014 <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Bengals have outstanding playmakers on offense. If Chase, Higgins, et al. get time to run their routes, they\u2019re going to get open, and Burrow will find them. The result will be a long day for the defense.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We expect Demarcus Covington\u2019s defense to be more aggressive this season. That means dialing up more pressure from different parts of the field. Sacks are nice, but consistent pressure is the key. They have to force Burrow to unload the ball early and throw off his timing. Keion White, who the Patriots expect to have a big Year 2, is the key here. He has to be a game wrecker on Sunday.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">___________<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Prediction:\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Week 1 Matchups are always among the most difficult to predict because there are so many unknown factors involved. A lot of fluky stuff happens on Week 1, so the Patriots do have a chance to upset Cincinnati, who have been notoriously slow starters the first two weeks of the season in recent years.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, I think the Bengals are, from top to bottom, a much more talented and better team than the Patriots are right now. They\u2019ll hang around but don\u2019t have enough offense yet to pull this one off. \u00a0 <\/span><b>Bengals 24-13<\/b><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Follow me on Twitter <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SteveB7SFG\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">@SteveB7SFG<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or email me at <\/span><\/i><a href=\"http:\/\/patspub.patsfans.com\/stevebpatsfans@gmail.com\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">stevebpatsfans@gmail.com<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Listen to our <\/span><\/i><a href=\"http:\/\/www.blogtalkradio.com\/patriotsfourthandtwo\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Patriots 4<\/span><\/i><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">th<\/span><\/i><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and 2<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> podcasts on Streamyard as Russ Goldman, Derek Havens, and I from <\/span><\/i><a href=\"http:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">PatsFans.com<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> discuss the latest Patriots news and breakdown game analysis<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p>PS: I like Baltimore tonight and Philly on Friday&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Look for Cincy to prioritize stopping the run, stacking the box, using run blitzes to stop the run, and daring Jacoby Brissett to beat them <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":55477,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23297,23494,23606,11,10],"tags":[23607,23492,324,23280,1604,23533,22564,1026,23432,2268,44,22588,23208,1345],"class_list":["post-55664","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cincinnati-bengals","category-new-england-patriots","category-patriots-2024-regular-season","category-patriots-commentary","category-patriots-news","tag-andre-iosivas","tag-antonio-gibson","tag-cincinnati-bengals","tag-demario-douglas","tag-hunter-henry","tag-jalynn-polk","tag-jamarr-chase","tag-jacoby-brissett","tag-javon-baker","tag-joe-burrow","tag-new-england-patriots","tag-rhamondre-stevenson","tag-tee-higgins","tag-trey-hendrickson"],"yoast_head":"<!-- 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