This story was originally published by Dead Spin
The Cincinnati Bengals are expected to contend for an AFC North title, especially with quarterback Joe Burrow back in the lineup.
However, the Bengals had one of the worst performances in Week 1, losing at home 16-10 against the New England Patriots, a team expected to finish last in the AFC East.
Burrow started his first game since Nov. 16 when he suffered a season-ending wrist injury against the Baltimore Ravens.
Burrow had a solid training camp, but he was rusty against the Patriots, completing 21 of 29 passes for just 164 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. He was sacked three times behind a porous offensive line.
The offense was so inept that the players were booed by many of the 66,214 fans that packed Paycor Stadium.
“We had our opportunities and didn’t take advantage of them,” Burrow said. “Not our best day. We’ll come back, learn from it, and play next week.
The Bengals had several other challenges entering the game.
Cincinnati three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase played in the game despite missing all of training camp because of an ongoing contract dispute that has been a distraction throughout the offseason. Chase was listed as questionable because of an illness that he revealed was food poisoning. He was not much of a factor, finishing with six catches for 62 yards.
“We’re not panicking,” Bengals center Ted Karras said. “We lost 16-10 to a good team. It was an offensive quagmire, and we are going to need to score more points than ten to beat anyone in the NFL.”
Burrow sorely missed fellow wide receiver Tee Higgins, who was inactive because of a hamstring injury.
This meant more targets for the tight ends, who also had a forgettable day. Mike Gesicki dropped a potential touchdown that could have changed the direction of the game, and Tanner Hudson had a fumble on the goal line.
“We just didn’t get into a great rhythm,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. “I can’t put my finger on exactly what that was. I felt like we had a good plan. Guys knew what to do.”
The Patriots defense managed to dominate the Bengals despite trading four-time Pro Bowl linebacker Matt Judon to the Atlanta Falcons on Aug. 15. Judon set a career high with 15.5 sacks in 2022 before being limited to four games because of torn biceps last season.
The defense held the Patriots to just one touchdown, but Taylor was not happy with the number of missed tackles and allowing 170 yards rushing.
Cincinnati did not force a turnover despite a couple of chances. Bengals safety Geno Stone dropped an interception. Last season, Stone finished second in the NFL with seven interceptions as a member of the Ravens behind Dallas cornerback DaRon Bland (nine).
Special teams also struggled with returner Charlie Jones fumbling a punt, which led to a field goal by the Patriots in the second half.
It’s just one game, but the schedule doesn’t get any easier for the Bengals, who have to travel to Kansas City to play the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs in Week 2.
“We have 16 games left to play,” Taylor said. “Starting 0-1 is certainly a hole that we didn’t want to be in, but I feel good about how this team will regroup.”
