Certainly the Cincinnati Bengals didn’t enter Week 1 at full strength, especially on the offensive side of the ball. But the shockingly bad performance against the Patriots led to a stunning upset and left head coach Zac Taylor at a loss for words.

However, Taylor found a few things to say, according to a post on X by Charlie Goldsmith of the Enquirer.

“We didn't get in a great rhythm,” Taylor said. “I can't put my finger on exactly what that was. Guys knew what to do.”

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor not pleased with season start

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor during the first half against the New England Patriots at Paycor Stadium.
Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Taylor didn't have to take a lot of time to reflect on what went wrong. He had plenty of things from which to choose, according to a post on X by Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic.

“Most frustrating thing is we didn’t play well,” Taylor said. “Looking at the turnover battle and looking at the missed tackles.”

Related Cincinnati Bengals NewsArticle continues below
Two mystery players in the middle, Joe Burrow and coach Zac Taylor around them, Cincinnati Bengals wallpaper in the background
Cincinnati Bengals 2 best trade targets to round out 2025 roster
Sep 15, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91) celebrates against the Kansas City Chiefs after a play during the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images
NFL rumors: What Albert Breer thinks about a Lions-Bengals Trey Hendrickson trade
Cincinnati Bengals players warm-up during practice.
Bengals’ 2025 travel schedule gives Cincinnati key rest advantage

The Bengals managed only 13 first downs and only had 48 offensive snaps. They finished with 224 yards with 154 passing and 70 on the ground. As for quarterback Joe Burrow, he managed to complete 21 of 29 passes but only had 164 yards.

Taylor focused on the fact the Bengals didn't care of the football.

“We lost the turnover battle, essentially three to nothing: one on offense, one of special teams, one on turnovers on downs,” Taylor said. “And we missed a lot of tackles today. (There's) no recipe in that style of game to be able to win. It's very clear. You lose the turnover battle like that Week 1, it's going to point you to a loss. We've got to be accountable for that. (We have to) make those corrections and get ourselves ready for next week.”

It turned into an awful first half for the Bengals. They turned in three three-and-out efforts for their first three possessions. Burrow led the Bengals to the red zone in the second quarter, but they came away with nothing because of a drive-ending turnover. On third-and-11 from the Patriots 15, Burrow hit tight end Tanner Hudson at the 9-yard-line. However, Patriots safety Kyle Dugger stripped the ball at the goal line, and cornerback Marcus Jones ran it 17 yards the other way.

In the second half, the Bengals' Charlie Jones fumbled away a punt. Later, the Bengals came up a yard short on a fourth-down pass. The Bengals got their lone score on a 5-yard scoring run by Zack Moss.