The Trenches Lead Bengals’ Week 1 Keys
Syndication: The Enquirer
After eight months, the Bengals can finally put their tumultuous offseason behind them and focus on their ultimate goal: winning football games. In Week 1, they’ll welcome the rebuilding New England Patriots to Paycor Stadium for a 1pm showdown on Sunday afternoon.
How can the Bengals knock off the Patriots and begin their season 1-0 for only the second time in the Zac Taylor era?
1. Win the revenge game in the trenches
The Bengals have three former Patriots in their trenches, and two of those players (Trent Brown, Mike Gesicki) played for New England just a season ago. The other, Ted Karras, was a Patriot on and off for four seasons before he not only joined the Bengals, but fully embraced Cincinnati culture and has become a fan favorite.
Fantastic story here – earlier this week Joe Burrow & Ted Karras were at dinner together.
Burrow challenged @_teddy_k to get a “Cincy” tattoo…in return, @JoeyB is donating 25K to the @VillageofMerici.
A new holiday in Cincinnati ☘️ST. TATTY’S DAY! pic.twitter.com/76Ku7hGYtj
— Olivia Ray (@OliviaRayTV) March 17, 2024
The trenches are where games are won and lost, and half of their starting trench players have an emotional desire to beat their former team on the other sideline. It will serve as a massive motivational factor as the Bengals look to begin their season on a high note.
Not to mention, the organization as a whole was shafted by the Patriots in the 2021 NFL Draft after they traded up with the Bengals to draft defensive lineman Christian Barmore, whose strong play earned him a 4 year, $92 million extension. Meanwhile, the Bengals received three picks in return, and none of those players they got with those picks (Jackson Carman, Tyler Shelvin, D’Ante Smith) are currently on the active roster. Carman and Shelvin are off the team entirely.
Unfortunately for the Patriots, Barmore caught a tough break that will affect not only his ability to play football, but his life as a whole.
The #Patriots will do right by star DL Christian Barmore: Sources say they will pay his full salary for 2024, despite him being on the Non-Football Injury List.
Teams are not required to pay players on NFI. New England will, as Barmore works his way back. pic.twitter.com/X4UoWnWHSz
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 3, 2024
His absence will significantly weaken the defensive line in New England, and their pass rush was already depleted after they traded Matthew Judon to the Falcons. The Bengals’ offensive line, which is the strongest it has been in the Joe Burrow era, should outmatch the Patriots’ defensive front.
2. Keep Rhamondre Stevenson in check
As a Rhamondre Stevenson fantasy owner, this next section is about to feel like blasphemy.
The Bengals spent a ton of time this offseason shoring up their defensive line after the departure of DJ Reader. All that work to rebuild the run defense is going to be put to the test with Rhamondre Stevenson, an extremely serviceable running back who just received a 4 year, $36 million contract extension. With a passing game mired in a full rebuild, the Patriots will likely have to look to Stevenson to shoulder the majority of the load on offense.
Asked Rhamondre Stevenson about the run-first mentality Jerod Mayo says the Patriots offense will have.
"We love it."@ABC6 #NEPats #NEvsCIN pic.twitter.com/MT0i9aWtLC
— Ian Steele (@RealianSteele6) September 4, 2024
The Bengals were extremely effective against Stevenson in 2022, as he totaled a mere 33 all-purpose yards. In addition, their defense sealed the game against the effective running back, as they forced a fumble on him near the goal line to seal the victory.
Friendly reminder that Mac Jones didn't lose the game to #Bengals in 2022. That's Rhamondre Stevenson coughing the ball up in the red zone. #BlameMac #ForeverNE #CINvsNE
pic.twitter.com/MMt4l39a3R— 🃏 Troll Pats 🃏 (@TrollPats) February 23, 2024
They will likely have to rely on veterans Sheldon Rankins and BJ Hill on the interior. McKinnley Jackson is on the IR for the first four weeks of the year with a hamstring injury, and Kris Jenkins has been limited at practice with a finger injury.
3. Take advantage of the opportunity to play a rebuilding team
The Mac Jones era experienced a grand total of five minutes of greatness over three seasons, so he was traded to Jacksonville for a sixth round pick and one of Trevor Lawrence’s hair dryers. The Patriots now have a new blue chip quarterback in Drake Maye, but the Week 1 starter will be Jacoby Brissett, who will be making his first start in New England since 2016, when he filled in for Tom Brady while he was suspended for the Deflategate scandal. Elsewhere, they have a first year head coach in Jerod Mayo, two rookie receivers in Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker, two second year receivers in Demario Douglas and Tyquan Thornton, and two veterans with declining production in Kendrick Bourne and KJ Osborn.
The Bengals are clearly the better team in this matchup, as shown by their -9.5 point spread (the largest point spread of any game in Week 1). Playing a team like the Patriots at the absolute very beginning of their rebuild is a golden opportunity to start 1-0. But Cincinnati has a history of week one let downs as well as a habit of playing down too their opponent in general under Zac Taylor. In an all in season this can’t happen.
Effort must to make a statement win. The Bengals must be up to speed when they travel to Arrowhead Stadium to take on the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2.
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