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Entering the season, not a lot was expected from the New England Patriots. With a new coach and plenty of rebuilding narratives swirling about, the Pats were predicted by many to have a season filled with heartbreak and growing pains. This also meant that the Cincinnati Bengals were favored to win in their Week 1 clash with New England. The opposite occurred, however.
Shocking the entire country, Jerod Mayo and the Patriots pulled off a 16-10 victory over the Bengals on Sunday. Sparked by their defense, New England held Cincinnati to just 70 yards on the ground and 160 yards in the air. The Patriots' running attack was also on point; A total of 39 carries between three running backs resulted in 170 rushing yards and the team's sole touchdown of the game. By the end of it all, “stunned” was the only word to describe Payco Stadium spectators, as New England made sure that Joe Burrow's highly anticipated return would be far from glorious.
Of course, whether or not the Patriots sustain this level of play is a concern that can only be answered in the long run. Still, Sunday's game was a glimpse of the team's capabilities, and it's surely made New England fans excited for the coming months. This article will be precisely touching on that. Without further delay, here are some possibilities that may transpire for the Patriots this season.
The Patriots finish the season with a top-five defense
As mentioned earlier, defense was the name of the game for New England. The Patriots were spectacular from the trenches all the way to the secondary. And if there was a player that stood out among the rest, it was Keion White. A former Georgia Tech star, White began his second NFL season with a bang, tallying 2.5 sacks, four tackles (two tackles for loss) and three quarterback hits. It looks like New England might've just found their Matthew Judon replacement.
Cornerback Christian Gonzalez also played a big part in the win. Don't be fooled by the two tackles as his lone stat; Gonzalez did what he was tasked to do, and that was cover Bengals star Ja'Marr Chase. While the Cincinnati wideout did have a 28-yard reception, he finished scoreless with just 62 yards on six catches, thanks to Gonzalez.
Safety Kyle Dugger can also be brought up here. In fact, he might've just made the play of the game. With over five minutes remaining in the second quarter, Burrow found a streaking Tanner Hudson at the 10-yard line. Racing toward the endzone, Hudson was moments away from a touchdown when Dugger suddenly flew in and punched the ball out, resulting in a fumble recovery by Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones. Here's the video below, per the NFL's official X account.
WHAT A PUNCH OUT BY KYLE DUGGER
📺: #NEvsCIN on CBS/Paramount+
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/nSE0lmY3TX— NFL (@NFL) September 8, 2024
All in all, this New England team did wonders, letting the Bengals score just one touchdown and a field goal. What makes things even more impressive is how the Pats accomplished all this without the services of DT Christian Barmore, who is out indefinitely due to blood clots. Barmore finished the previous season with 8.5 sacks and 64 combined tackles.
Assuming the momentum continues throughout the season, the Patriots could finish their campaign with a top-five-ranked defense.
Rhamondre Stevenson puts up another 1,000-yard season, earns first Pro Bowl appearance
On offense, Jacoby Brissett made sure that Rhamondre Stevenson would get carries…a lot of carries. Putting up numbers that would make any opposing coach swear in frustration, Stevenson ran the ball 25 times for 120 yards and a first-quarter touchdown.
As one of the few bright spots for the Patriots in the past few years, Stevenson has shown time and time again that he can deliver. He already had a 1,000-yard campaign back in 2022. His 2023 season ended after 12 games due to injury, but the running back already tallied 619 rushing yards at that time. With a stellar showing against the Bengals, Stevenson could possibly return to the 1,000-yard territory once again. The Patriots' game plan on Sunday hints that they'll be utilizing him to the fullest, so fans can expect similar performances in the coming months.
Oh, and assuming that New England continues to defy expectations and keeps garnering everyone's attention, that elusive Pro Bowl appearance could finally become a reality for Stevenson.
Moving forward, the Patriots play the Seattle Seahawks next week and the New York Jets after. These are two teams that — based on Sunday's performance — are winnable for New England. Getting three victories in a row will be very beneficial since the Patriots would surely want lots of momentum for their Week 4 clash against the San Francisco 49ers.
