Patriots Analysis

Ten Takeaways From New England’s Week 1 Win in Cincinnati

Published

3 months ago

September 8, 2024

The New England Patriots opened their 2024 campaign with an upset 16-10 victory over the Bengals in Cincinnati. New England did a lot of things right that they struggled to do well last season. They controlled the clock, ran the ball effectively, won the turnover battle, and avoided allowing big plays. It led to the Jerod Mayo Era in New England beginning with a big win and a 1-0 start to the season.

Ten takeaways from the Patriots Week 1 win:

Flagged Before the Season Begins

One of the keys to success for New England on Sunday was not beating themselves. This included presnap penalties, illegal formation, and unforced errors. On the opening kickoff, the Patriots were flagged for an illegal formation penalty. Not a great omen to begin the game. The call was on UDFA rookie safety Dell Pettus, who appeared overly eager to begin his NFL career. Fortunately, it appeared to be an isolated incident for the most part.

Also Read – Potential New England Patriots Award Winners in 2024

Keion White Came to Play

White played well as a rookie in 2023, though he didn’t dominate the way he occasionally seemed capable of. He finished last season with 26 tackles and one sack. If Keion White continues to play like he did to start the season, those numbers will be dwarfed in 2024. He recorded his first sack on Cincinnati’s first passing play of the game. He added a half-sack in the second quarter, then brought Joe Burrow down again in the fourth. Keion White finished the game with four tackles (three solo), 2.5 sacks, and a forced fumble.

Keion White with the Opening Day strip sack 💪

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— Georgia Tech Football (@GeorgiaTechFB) September 8, 2024

Issues at Left Tackle Continue

Chukwuma Okorafor began the game at left tackle for New England. After 12 snaps and a few quarterback hits allowed, Vederian Lowe replaced him. Lowe committed a false start penalty immediately. He also allowed several pressures and quarterback hits. Cincinnati defensive end Trey Hendrickson is one of the best edge defenders in the NFL and will be a problem for any team he goes against. But it was a discouraging start to the season for a position where upgrading from 2023 was reportedly a point of emphasis in the offseason.

Jacoby Brissett Displays Toughness, Leadership

Despite facing pressure throughout the afternoon, Jacoby Brissett did not fold. From Tony Eason to Mac Jones, Patriots quarterbacks who anticipate hits and brace themself for contact too early quickly fall out of favor with fans. Teammates as well. This will not be an issue for Brissett. He stood tall in the pocket and was willing to take a beating to give his team every opportunity to make a play. The Bengals recorded only one sack despite the pressures. It was a testament to the toughness of New England’s QB. Former Patriot Matt Chatham echoed this sentiment on X:

I get that it wasn’t a completion and Brissett had to take a big hit, but holy shit it’s such a relief & refresher to once again see the #Patriots QB stand in there against pressure and take a hit instead of fading away. Guys around him appreciate that. Football player.

— Matt Chatham (@chatham58) September 8, 2024

Winning the Turnover Battle

The New England Patriots did not turn the ball over in the game. Rhamondre Stevenson fumbled once but quickly recovered it himself. Cincinnati fumbled three times, with New England recovering two of them. Bengals tight end Tanner Hudson looked like he was heading into the end zone for an easy second-quarter touchdown when Kyle Dugger knocked the ball loose. Marcus Jones recovered the fumble for New England. In the third quarter, long snapper Joe Cardona made the tackle on a punt, forced a fumble, and Jaylinn Hawkins recovered. In a six-point win the two turnover advantage proved huge.

Rhamondre Stevenson Carries the Load

The New England Patriots stated they wanted to be a “run first” team in 2024. That can only happen if featured back Rhaomndre Stevenson can keep the chains moving. He did just that on Sunday. Stevenson amassed 120 yards on 25 carries and scored New England’s lone touchdown. He added three receptions for six yards. Most importantly, this enabled New England to win the time of possession battle 34:03 to 25:57. It was an area New England rarely enjoyed the advantage a season ago.

Rhamondre Stevenson @NFLFantasy owners refreshing their app to make sure they got their points

📺: #NEvsCIN on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/ax9jnbPgEz

— NFL (@NFL) September 8, 2024

Standouts on Defense

Keion White wasn’t the only Patriots to start their season on the right foot. Cornerback Christian Gonzalez limited the big play potential of Bengals star wideout Ja’Marr Chase. Although Chase finished with a respectable six receptions for 62 yards, it was a modest output for a player capable of taking over a game single-handedly. Ja’Whaun Bentley had 12 tackles (seven solo) and a half-sack. Safety Jabrill Peppers recorded six tackles and had the big forced fumble to prevent a Bengals touchdown. It was a great team effort on defense.

Special Teams Units Excel

In recent seasons the special teams units went from a longtime team strength to a weakness. That was not the case on Cincinnati. Kicker Joey Slye hit all three of his field goal attempts. Punter Bryce Baringer averaged 50.0 yards on five punts, dropping three inside the 20-yard line. Joe Cardona forced a fumble on punt coverage. Brenden Schooler had three solid sticks in coverage. JaMycal Hasty had a 27-yard kickoff return and Marcus Jones gained 10 yards on his lone punt return. Awesome effort by the unit as a whole.

OH WE GOT THAT!!

📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/KSnTWDmeH7

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) September 8, 2024

Congratulations to the Coaching Staff

Jerod Mayo recorded his first win as an NFL head coach. His choice to start at quarterback, Jacoby Brissett, played mistake-free football. Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt did a nice job controlling the clock and helping Brissett get the ball out quickly. DeMarcus Covington’s defense did a great job disguising schemes and limiting the Cincinnati offense attack all game. Jeremy Springer’s special teams units were awesome. It was a great day for the entire staff. They deserve to feel great after their first win of the season.