The 2024 regular season began in winning formation for the team of new head coach Jerod Mayo.
The New England Patriots defeated the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium on Sunday afternoon, winning surprisingly 16-10.
Here is a first look back at the opening game, when the guests went home with a 1-0 win.
Brissett’s restart
For the first time since fall 2016, Jacoby Brissett was a Patriots starter on Sunday. The 31-year-old team captain handled his role carefully and flexibly. He completed 15 of 24 passes for 121 yards without touchdowns or turnovers. He added 32 yards as a runner.
New England’s opening drive, which was split into “11” personnel after the game’s coin toss was postponed, included a pass to tight end Hunter Henry and a total of 25 yards before ending with a punt. On the ensuing possession, Brissett earned two first downs, hit four different targets, including tight end Austin Hooper for 16 yards under pressure, and handed the ball off at the goal line en route to a 7-0 lead. It became a double-digit lead at halftime when a battle for ball control overcame a dangerous shot into the end zone.
The second half continued with a punt, a field goal, a punt, a field goal and a punt for the Patriots. But as the gap got smaller, time became less and less. Drake Maye, selected as number 3, watched from the sidelines. So did inactive rookie Joe Milton III as the third QB in case of emergency.
The Patriots’ offensive line without Sau will be huge
With left guard Sidy Sow out of the starting lineup due to an ankle injury, the Patriots promoted Michael Jordan, the Bengals’ 2019 draft pick, from the practice squad on the eve of kickoff at 1 p.m. ET.
The first offensive line to take the field would also include Chukwuma Okorafor at left tackle, captain David Andrews at center, rookie Layden Robinson at right guard and Mike Onwenu at right tackle. Another member of the 2024 draft class, Caedan Wallace, was reported early and often as an eligible tight end for offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt. And Vederian Lowe, who was quickly cautioned for a false start, was slotted in on the blindside opposite three-time Pro Bowl defensive end Trey Hendrickson.
One sack was allowed on a Sunday in pass protection that faced tough hits, and the running game forced 172 yards before being allowed to kneel.
Stevenson finds the end zone and surpasses the 100 mark
Foxborough has three running backs on its active roster, and each of them will help in some capacity on Sunday.
Rhamondre Stevenson had 25 carries for 120 yards, including 12, 14 and 17, and the first touchdown of September. He scored behind a strong right side of the line at the goal line. He recovered his own fumble in the fourth quarter after a challenge flag was thrown. Downhill jump cuts were key to his performance. The four-year, $36 million contract player contributed three catches from the backfield.
Antonio Gibson provided some variety, but the March addition was held in check with 18 yards from the huddle on seven touches, while November waivers JaMycal Hasty joined him further back and returned a kickoff 27 yards.
New England’s wide receiver chamber makes eight catches
The starting lineup included three wide receivers for New England.
DeMario Douglas caught two passes for 12 yards from there and started the afternoon with a third-and-8 conversion from the slot. KJ Osborn contributed three catches for 21 yards. And Tyquan Thornton caught two passes for 27 yards with a longest of 17.
Javon Baker was taken out of the game 90 minutes before kickoff. Fellow rookie Ja’Lynn Polk threw strong hands for his first career catch as the third quarter expired. The position group drew a combined 13 targets.
White front and after Burrow
With defensive tackle Christian Barmore on the non-football injured list while recovering from blood clots, the disruption required a replacement altogether. But the No. 46 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft did the heavy lifting after recording a sack as a rookie.
The front line got going with a strip sack by Keion White on second down. The Old Dominion and Georgia Tech product was involved in 2.5 sacks by the end of the afternoon. Both of his follow-up throws came on third down, including a split with captain Ja’Whaun Bentley. The starting lineup included Davon Godchaux, Daniel Ekuale, Anfernee Jennings and Jahlani Tavai.
Three consecutive three-and-outs were the team’s opening move. Cincinnati didn’t move the chains until 10:33 before halftime. Quarterback Joe Burrow and Co. then suffered a turnover on downs.
Chasing the secondary market
Cincinnati’s former Heisman Trophy winner finished Sunday with 21 of 29 aerial throws for 164 yards.
The Patriots started with Christian Gonzalez and Jonathan Jones on the edge of the secondary. Jabrill Peppers and Kyle Dugger accompanied the cornerbacks. The latter safety picked up a fumble by tight end Tanner Hudson that would have otherwise landed in the end zone. Starting nickelback Marcus Jones was quick to respond and scored a 17-yard return before halftime. The turnover interrupted a 13-play drive.
Perpetual All-Pro candidate Ja’Marr Chase, limited in practice due to contract negotiations and an illness, caught six passes on as many attempts for 62 yards. The No. 1 wide receiver was overshadowed by the No. 0 cornerback, whose first catch of the year yielded minimal yardage off a screen. Elsewhere, Marco Wilson, the fourth-ranked cornerback, was penalized for 20 yards of defensive pass interference against wideout Andrei Iosivas. That was part of a drive that spanned 90 yards and gave the Bengals a score on a touchdown by running back Zack Moss.
Addition to the kick game
While Sunday began with an illegal lineup for the Patriots’ special teams, there was even more to see after undrafted rookie Dell Pettus left the kickoff line early.
Veteran kicker Joey Slye converted all three of his field goals in Cincinnati. The veteran NFL player extended the lead to 10-0 by halftime from 32 yards out. The lead then increased to 13-0 from 35 yards out and to 16-7 from 37 yards out.
He made his only extra point during a matinee in which holder Bryce Baringer hit a handful of punts for 250 yards, including Boom’s 56 and 54. There was also a forced fumble by long snapper Joe Cardona that took down safety Jaylinn Hawkins. And along the way, reigning NFLPA All-Pro candidate Brenden Schooler completed two tackles 10 yards from the goal posts.
