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If you said that the New England Patriots were going to beat the 2022 AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals on the road in Week 1, I would have said you were completely insane. But that’s what happened on Sunday afternoon as the Patriots shocked the Bengals 16-10 in a massive upset. The team’s level of scoring was so surprising because, in 2023, New England had a three-game stretch from Week 10 to Week 12 where they scored a combined 13 points. So, scoring 16 points seems like 30 for them. While the Patriots’ strength in this game was their defense, their offense was already a big improvement from the utter disappointment fans saw last season.
Rhamondre Has An Awesome Game
Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for 120 yards and one touchdown on 25 carries. While Stevenson didn’t play great in 2023 like the rest of the offense, he was still one of the only semi-consistent parts of the Patriots’ offense. It was great to see that he built on his 2023 season and had a strong start to 2024. Stevenson ran as he always does: angry! He broke several tackles in this game and carved up the Bengals defense. To top it all off, Rhamondre’s first down late in the fourth quarter secured the win.
But Rhamondre isn’t just a great running back, he’s a solid pass catcher as well. In the 2023 season, he recorded 38 receptions for 238 yards. It’s not Breece Hall or Christian McCaffrey level (591 and 564 receiving yards respectively), but it’s a respectable addition to a running back’s total stats. It wouldn’t be surprising if Stevenson increased his receiving yards numbers, especially since the Patriots still don’t have a solid number one wide receiver. Second-round pick Ja’Lynn Polk is thought of highly and Kendrick Bourne is solid, but he won’t be back until at least Week 6 because of a knee injury. Rhamondre Stevenson will likely have to be a huge part of the Patriots offense this season.
Joey Slye Does His Job
New kicker Joey Slye made three field goals and scored most of the Patriots’ points in this game. All of the field goals he made were from less than 40 yards away, including his longest kick of 37 yards. Although none of Slye’s kicks were from that far, it’s good that they have a consistent kicker and can move on from the Chad Ryland debacle from last season. Ryland was a terrible kicker in 2023, missing the most field goals in the league. He went 16 of 25, including making just two of four kicks from 50 yards or more and missing two field goals in the 30 to 39-yard range.
The most gut-wrenching miss Ryland had last season was at the end of the game against the Giants last season. With six seconds left, Ryland missed a mere 35-yard field goal to tie the game. It was at this point where I thought that the Pats needed to get rid of this clown. A 35-yard kick should basically be a gimme, especially when it’s at the end of the game and it’s for the tie. So, I’m just happy that he’s not starting anymore and New England seems to have a competent kicker. Slye didn’t have great stats with the Commanders last season, going 19 of 24 on field goals. But with many things related to the Patriots, it’s a big improvement from what we had last season.
Van Pelt Is Another Improvement
Former Browns offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt takes over after an abysmal offensive performance from former OC Bill O’Brien in 2023. Last season, Van Pelt helped lead the Browns to their first playoff appearance since the 2020-21 season. Van Pelt succeeded with Joe Flacco as the quarterback. I’m not saying that Van Pelt was a major factor in Flacco’s success because he is a Super Bowl winner and a good quarterback in his own right. But it sticks out when you can succeed with a 38-year-old quarterback who had jumped around on multiple NFL teams the past couple of seasons.
After not having a solid and consistent offensive coordinator the past few seasons, Jerod Mayo bringing in all these new coaches like Van Pelt looks like a promising new era in New England. A guy who can run a solid offense is what the Patriots need most right now.
A Good Start For The Patriots
A win against the Bengals is not how people thought the Patriots season would start. On ESPN’s Pigskin Pick ‘Em, 97 percent of people picked the Bengals to win. Cincinnati was an eight-point favorite and this was the biggest Week 1 upset since 2018 when the Buccaneers (+10) beat the Saints. The Patriots’ defense looked great as usual, causing two huge fumbles, one right near the goal line and one on a punt return deep in Cincinnati territory. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett didn’t do a lot but he was serviceable, throwing for 121 yards and completing 62.5 percent of his passes. The most important part was he didn’t make any big mistakes like Mac Jones or Bailey Zappe did last season.
Should the Patriots be super proud of this game and think they’re going to win the division? No, of course not. Did the Bengals make a lot of mistakes and not play as well as we know they can? Yes, definitely. But did the Patriots show some signs of promise and overall play a pretty good game? Yes. And remember, this is all relative. The team didn’t play like the Chiefs or Ravens, but they have already shown signs of improvement from 2023 and that is the important part. Jerod Mayo is turning this team in the right direction.
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