The Cincinnati Bengals had a rough start to the 2024 season. Cincinnati put up a dud of a game in Week 1, losing to the New England Patriots and rookie head coach Jerod Mayo.
The Bengals fell to the Patriots 16-10 in a sloppy Week 1 affair. Cincinnati struggled to find any rhythm on offense and their defense was punished by New England’s Rhamondre Stevenson all day long. That combination led to the Bengals failing to challenge the Patriots on either side of the ball for most of the game.
We won’t try and put too positive of a shine on that performance. The Bengals stunk.
However, weird things happen in Week 1. We see this every single NFL season. Every season NFL fans and analysts overreact to Week 1 and look foolish just weeks later.
Below, we will focus on three reasons why Bengals fans should not panic after Week 1’s disappointing performance.
Cincinnati had multiple unforced errors against New England that won’t happen every game
One factor that bears mentioning related to Week 1 was that the Bengals had a very unlucky game.
In a game that was decided by one score, the Bengals had two odd situations go against them. If either one of these had gone in Cincinnati’s favor, we could instead be talking about a Bengals victory in Week 1.
First, there was an untimely turnover that had a huge impact on the game in the early stages. Cincinnati drove down the field late in the second quarter down by seven points. The Bengals drove all the way to the 15-yard-line and were looking to get in the end zone.
Joe Burrow completed a pass on a well-designed play to tight end Tanner Hudson, who knifed through New England’s defense all the way to the goal line. Unfortunately, he did not have two hands on the ball and had it knocked out before he could score. The Patriots recovered the fumble and returned it 17 yards. That play took seven points off the board for Cincinnati.
Tight end Mike Gesicki also had what appeared to be a touchdown catch. However, the play was reviewed and ruled that Gesicki did not complete the process of the catch. This is certainly an unforced error, but another close call that could have secured a victory for the Bengals.
Let’s face it, NFL teams sometimes have jittery performances in Week 1. Odds are that the Bengals do not play this way the entire season. They just need to get things figured out fast enough to stay competitive in the AFC playoff race.
The Bengals offense will look better once Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins return in mid-season form
Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins have both been in contract disputes with the Bengals over the summer.
Chase has been at Bengals practice recently, but it was clear that he was holding back on fully committing until he received a contract extension. That deadline came and went, but Chase still decided to play in the team’s Week 1 game against the Patriots.
Chase allegedly had food poisoning the day before the game and ultimately ended up playing. He led the team in both yards and receptions, thought that was not a hard feat on an abysmal offensive day for the Bengals.
Regardless of whether Chase was battling food poisoning or shaking off the rust from the offseason, it is fair to assume his play will increase after a full week of practice.
Meanwhile, Tee Higgins missed the Patriots game due to a hamstring injury. Higgins could be a WR1 on a different team, which makes him all the more dangerous when he lines up on the same field as Ja’Marr Chase.
Bengals fans need to keep an eye on the injury report this week to see if Higgins is ready to return.
Whenever Higgins does get back on the field, he will supercharge the Bengals’ passing attack.
Once the Bengals offense gets back to its old self, they can give the defense some rest
One byproduct of the Bengals’ offensive woes was a ton of pressure going against the defense.
New England took full advantage of Cincinnati’s offensive woes on Sunday. The Patriots took the air out of the ball, running the ball early and often and chewing a ton of time off the clock. New England had 34:03 time of possession compared to Cincinnati’s 25:57.
This was a smart approach for the Patriots because it accomplished two different things at once. First, it kept the Bengals from getting back into rhythm because they had to wait on the sideline for long stretches of time. Second, it absolutely gassed Cincinnati’s defensive players.
That being the case, it is tough to get a real assessment of Cincinnati’s defense in Week 1. At the end of the day, keeping your opponent to 290 total yards of offense is pretty impressive in the modern NFL. However, considering the situation they were placed in, the Bengals struggled to make any stops against Rhamondre Stevenson on the ground.
Spinning positively, the Bengals fixing their offensive issues could have a domino effect of positive outcomes. One of those could be more rest for the defense. Another could be much more positive and manageable situations.
The Bengals may not instantly turn back into contenders when they face the Chiefs in Week 2. However, Bengals fans should keep the faith because their team will eventually get out of this early-season rut.
