The first full day of NFL football in 2024 is finally here, and the New England Patriots take on the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1 action.
Here’s everything you need to know about the game today.
New England Patriots at Cincinnati Bengals
- Start time: Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, 1 p.m. ET
- Channel: CBS
- Live stream options: Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, CBS All-Access
- Radio Stations: 98.5 The Sports Hub, Bengals Radio Network
- Starting QBs: Jacoby Brissett, Joe Burrow
- Betting lines:
- Spread: CIN -9
- Total: 42
- Moneyline: CIN -455, NE +350
The Patriots find themselves in a new era for the first time in the 21st century as Bill Belichick, New England’s head coach since 2000, parted ways with the organization in the offseason.
While New England finds itself with a new head coach, it tabbed a familiar face to take over. Former linebacker (2008-15) and inside linebackers coach (2019-23) Jerod Mayo was promoted, tasked with moving the Patriots on from both Belichick and Tom Brady’s legacies. While Mayo gets the first shot as head coach, he and the front office brought in another familiar face to be the starting quarterback after trading Mac Jones.
Veteran QB Jacoby Brissett returned to the Patriots after being traded by them to the Colts in 2017. After four seasons in Indianapolis, Brissett spent the next three seasons as a bridge/backup QB for Miami, Cleveland, and Washington before returning to New England to do the same thing.
Mayo told the team last week that Brissett would start despite the Patriots drafting quarterback Drake Maye third overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. While Maye looked confident and poised in his preseason action, the state of the Patriots roster is not conducive to a rookie starting.
Rhamondre Stevenson commands a strong presence at RB. However, with Kendrick Bourne starting the season on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, the Patriots will rely on second-year WR DeMario Douglas and rookie Ja’Lynn Polk as the top two receivers for Brissett to target. They’ll also be hoping for a bounce back from TE Hunter Henry, whose production has dropped since signing with New England in 2021.
Cincinnati, on the other hand, has had quite a mixed bag of emotions this offseason. First, and most importantly, Joe Burrow was healthy for the preseason, giving him an entire ramp-up period before the start of the season. In years past, Burrow’s absence from training camp due to injury rehab or last year’s calf injury in the preseason caused Burrow to be cold, with evident rust in the first few weeks of the season.
Burrow even got some snaps in the Bengals preseason opener and looked good throwing a 10-yard TD to Tee Higgins in his first action since season-ending wrist surgery last year.
Speaking of Higgins, the WR2 saw himself involved in a contract dispute this offseason. While the two sides couldn’t come to an agreement, Higgins ended up signing his franchise tag, citing his aspirations of winning a Super Bowl as the reason he ended his holdout.
But, even though the Bengals figured out Higgins’ situation in the end, there’s a bigger problem with Week 1 on the horizon. After watching many of his peers get record-breaking contracts, WR Ja’Marr Chase has been engaged in a “hold-in” as he advocates for a new contract extension. Chase is in the final season of his rookie deal (with his fifth-year option already exercised) and looking to be compensated as the game-breaking WR he is.
Combined with an unproven rushing attack after trading RB Joe Mixon to the Texans, the Bengals have to thank the NFL schedulers it’s only the Patriots this week. While a team can win on any given Sunday, the Bengals should be able to squeak out a win, Chase or no Chase.
2024 Preseason Stats Leaders
- QB:
- Patriots: Drake Maye, 21 cmp/34 att, 192 yards, one TD
- Bengals: Logan Woodside, 41 cmp/58 att, 379 yards, two TDs, two INTs
- RB:
- Patriots: Terrell Jennings, 12 carries, 74 yards
- Bengals: Trayveon Williams, 20 carries, 95 yards
- WR:
- Patriots: Kayshon Boutte, six rec/11 targets, 76 yards
- Bengals: Jermaine Burton, eight rec/10 targets, 157 yards, two TDs
