The Bengals offense looked much better huddling than executing during Cincinnati’s Week 1 debacle versus the New England Patriots (Photo Credit: Ryan Meyer/Bengals.com).
By Dr. John Huang
(CINCINNATI, Oh) – Before a sea of 66,214 die-hard fans drenched in orange, the Cincinnati Bengals strutted onto the field against the New England Patriots. But instead of delivering the triumphant, sun-soaked victory the fans had eagerly anticipated, they stumbled into a trainwreck of a 16 – 10 defeat—cringeworthy to anyone willing to witness the carnage.
Gone are the days when the mere mention of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick sent shivers down spines. The much less intimidating Jacoby Brissett and Jerod Mayo lead today’s New England Patriots. This new rendition of the Patriots might lack the star power of yesteryear, but they came ready to play. Meanwhile, the Bengals—well, let’s just say they looked like they were mired in pre-season form.
The game began with a whimper for Cincinnati. Three possessions in, and they had as many points as a deflated football: zero. By the end of the first quarter, the Bengals had managed to scrape together a measly 17 yards. It was as if they’d forgotten the regular season had already started, sleepwalking through the first quarter while the Patriots were busy playing actual football.
New England, for their part, decided to take a trip down memory lane—specifically, the part where they run the ball down your throat. Rhamondre Stevenson was the conductor of this old-school train, rumbling for 125 yards on 20 carries. The Patriots piled up 170 yards on the ground, making the Bengals’ defense look like they had forgotten how to tackle. It was enough to make any Cincy fan long for the days when the Bengals’ D could at least slow someone down.
“We didn’t start fast enough on offense with three straight three-and-outs,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said, frustration evident in his voice. “We lost the turnover battle essentially three-zero—one on offense, one on special teams, and one on the turnover on downs, and didn’t get anything back off of them. We missed a lot of tackles today with 170 yards rushing (for the Patriots). No recipe in that style of game to be able to win.”
Joe Burrow, Cincinnati’s golden boy, was expected to work his magic, but instead, it felt like he was doing a disappearing act. He finished 21 of 29 for 164 yards—a stat line that’s more “meh” than magical. Even more puzzling was Burrow’s sudden aversion to throwing the ball downfield. Sixteen of his first 20 attempts were short throws, the kind you might use in a game of backyard catch, not an NFL contest.
Ja’Marr Chase did his best to pick up the slack, snagging six catches for a pedestrian 62 yards. The Bengals’ much-hyped offensive line, allegedly one of the best they’ve had in years, spent much of the afternoon letting Burrow run for his life. Fans held their breath every time Burrow dropped back, praying he wouldn’t end up pancaked by yet another New England pass rusher.
In the second quarter, just when it seemed like the Bengals might finally score, the dreaded “Bungles” of old made an unwelcome appearance. Tight end Tanner Hudson fumbled the ball away on what appeared to be a sure touchdown, and the Patriots gleefully pounced on the bouncing free gift. A potential touchdown drive was suddenly a gut-punch instead.
But hope flickered briefly late in the third quarter when Zack Moss bulldozed his way into the end zone from five yards out, cutting the Patriots’ lead to 13-7. For a moment, it seemed like the Bengals might pull off a comeback.
With 3:04 left on the clock in the final quarter, Joe Burrow got the ball back—the kind of moment you pay him the big bucks for. Cincinnati promptly went three-and-out. No magic, no miracle, just another big hole for a team used to slow starts.
In the end, New England’s stat line wasn’t anything to write home about—290 total yards, with 170 of those coming on the ground—but it was enough to expose the Bengals’ soft spots. Meanwhile, Cincinnati could only muster 224 total yards, a number that won’t garner many victories over the course of a full season.
Taylor summed it up with a blunt assessment: “It’s very clear if you lose the turnover (battle) like that Week 1, it’s going to point to a loss. We have to be accountable for that, make those corrections and get ourselves ready to go on the road next week.”
As the team processed the loss, Bengals center Ted Karras put things into perspective: “We get back to practice. We’ve got to watch this and learn from it. We have the defending champs in their home stadium. Everyone is going to have to get over it pretty quick, and obviously, that sucks that we lost the third consecutive opener, but it’s a long season, and we’re going to be ready to go.”
Losing a game in Week 1 isn’t a catastrophe, but blowing a gimme game at home? Now that’s how you dig yourself an early hole. Especially with a trip to Kansas City looming—a place where football dreams often go to die.
As the final whistle blew and fans shuffled out of the stadium, reality settled in: the road to the Super Bowl is long, winding, and full of potholes. The Bengals, for all their potential talent, still have some serious roadwork ahead if they want to avoid more detours like this one.
So, while the fans may have successfully pulled off an “Orange Out,” the Bengals themselves faded to black, leaving me wondering what on earth just happened.
Dr. John Huang is a retired orthodontist, military veteran, and award-winning author. He currently covers the Bengals for Sports View America. You can follow him on social media @KYHuangs and check out his debut novel, “Name, Image, and Murder” and all his books at https://www.Amazon.com/stores/Dr.-John-Huang/author/B092RKJBRD
