One of these matchups could decide the game.
The Cincinnati Bengals host the New England Patriots on Sunday as part of the NFL’s opening week slate of games. Both teams are coming off a disappointing 2023 season.
The Bengals finished 9-8 thanks to an injury-riddled season for Joe Burrow, and the Patriots finished with a 4-13 record as they grappled with the struggles that came after they moved on from the Tom Brady/Bill Belichick era.
Both teams could start a little rusty. Burrow hasn’t thrown a pass in a regular-season game since November of 2023, and Jacoby Brissett, the Patriots starting signal caller, threw less than 30 passes while with the Washington Commanders in last year’s campaign.
The Bengals are looking to get off to a fast start to begin a Super Bowl season, and the Patriots are looking to not get buried in a competitive division.
Here are a few matchups that could sway the outcome of the game on Sunday.
Sheldon Rankins/BJ Hill vs. Rhamondre Stevenson
If there’s a game plan to try to take down a team with a high-powered offense when you, yourself probably can’t win in a shootout, it’s run the ball. The more the Patriots can run the ball, the more time goes by, the longer Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase (hopefully he plays) and Tee Higgins are on the sidelines. If the Patriots are going to win, that’s how they’re going to do it.
The Bengals struggled against the run in 2023, and DJ Reader is with the Lions now. To replace him, the Bengals signed Sheldon Rankins in free agency, and they selected two defensive tackles on Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Lou Anarumo knows what’s coming. Alex Van Pelt is going to load up and run the ball. Stevenson is a big, strong running back who excels at running through contact. The Patriots will run the ball until the Bengals either score enough, they force Brissett to throw the ball, or the Bengals prove they can stop it.
Hopefully, Kris Jenkins is as advertised against the run. If his success at Michigan translates to the NFL, the Bengals could have one of the best interior line rotations in the division.
Ja’Marr Chase/Tee Higgins vs. Christian Gonzalez
Gonzalez, the Patriots’ first-round pick in 2023, only played in four games last season before he was lost for the season with a couple of injuries in October. In those four games, though, he showed he has what it takes to be a very good cornerback in the league.
We all know what Chase and Higgins can do: it just depends on who we see. If Chase is still unsigned and decides not to play on Sunday, then Higgins will be WR1, and we’ll get a healthy dose of him and Gonzalez going one-on-one. If Chase does play, whether extended or not, Gonzalez will really have his hands full.
With only one, the Patriots secondary can double the wide receiver on the field. With both out there, though, it leaves cornerbacks on an island, often playing one-on-one. That’s where Gonzalez will have to prove he can do it against two of the best wide receivers being thrown to by one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.
Trey Hendrickson vs. Chukwuma Okorafor
Okorafor is the Patriots’ starting left tackle, according to the team’s official depth chart. The Bengals are familiar with Okorafor, as he was a third-round pick in 2018 by the Steelers and has faced off against the Bengals defensive line several times.
Hendrickson is coming off a career year, racking up 17.5 sacks in 2023, which tied him for second most behind only TJ Watt. The Bengals also added free-agent defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins, who can hopefully add some juice to the pass rush from the interior of the line. If Rankins can pressure the interior of the Patriots offensive line, forcing running backs to stay inside and stopping Brissett from stepping up into the pocket, Hendrickson could have a big day.
Dan Pitcher vs. Another slow offensive start
The Bengals offense has been known to start the season off sluggish under Burrow and head coach Zac Taylor. Burrow completed his first training camp this preseason, and hopefully, that helps him and the offense hit the ground running on Sunday.
While Burrow and the starting offense did play a little in the preseason, it wasn’t nearly as much game time as many other teams allow their starters in games that don’t matter. While it helps keep everyone healthy, it can also make a hot offense start the season cold.
Pitcher, a first-year offensive coordinator, will look to reverse the trend and have the Bengals offense humming and in mid-season form right out of the gates. If the Bengals can do that, they’ll avoid every game at the end of the season being a win-or-go-home scenario, as has been in the past.
This team should be focused on a first-round bye, not on winning the division in Week 17.
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What are some other matchups you have an eye on?
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