The Cincinnati Bengals unintentionally cause the biggest surprise of the first NFL week of 2024. How bad is the team really?

At first glance, it was business as usual. The Cincinnati Bengals have once again flubbed their season opener in the NFL, suffering their fourth defeat in week one in their fifth year with quarterback Joe Burrow. So no reason to panic – or is there?

In fact, the 10:16 home defeat against the New England Patriots was a serious setback. Before the start of the season, the Patriots were considered one of the weakest teams in the league and, with the trade of Matthew Judon, they made it clear that they had no ambitions this year.

The Bengals, on the other hand, are completely different. With Burrow fit again, the focus is clearly on the playoffs, even if their own division is tough. A home game against the Patriots was seen as a thankful task, but things turned out differently

Bengals: Chase is only a shadow of his former self

There’s no way around Ja’Marr Chase if you want to get to the bottom of the Bengals’ current situation.

The receiver and Burrow formed an incomparable duo back in their college days at LSU, with Cincinnati picking Chase in the first round of the 2021 draft specifically to back up Burrow, who had been drafted a year earlier

And Chase delivered immediately, his rookie season was outstanding with 1,455 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns, consequently he was named Offensive Rookie of the Year. The Bengals made it to the Super Bowl that year, but fell just short of a major triumph.

The two years that followed were not as productive due to injuries – either to himself or to Burrow. In the offseason, Chase nevertheless pushed for a new contract and refused to work out. There is still no agreement to this day.

It was therefore unclear for a long time whether Chase would even suit up for the Bengals or continue his strike into the season. The 24-year-old reported for duty on time and led his team with six catches and 62 yards, but looked less explosive and was only on the field for a good 83 percent of offensive snaps.

According to Chase himself, however, this was due to food poisoning, which he had just contracted on Saturday. However, it should be clear that his month-long absence from training did not help, even though Burrow stood in front of his buddy after the game.

A fit Chase is vital if the Bengals are to bring Burrow’s strengths to the field. However, the receiver himself must also be in shape to be able to help the team at all. That didn’t seem to be the case in parts against the Patriots.

Higgins was missing as a second receiver option

Tee Higgins has been with the Bengals a year longer than Chase, the 25-year-old was drafted exactly one round after Burrow in 2020. And his impact on the team has always been huge.

In recent years, Higgins has been the Bengals’ clear No. 2 starter, consistently delivering performances in the shadow of Chase that have forced opposing defenses to keep an eye on Higgins.

The news was all the more bitter last Thursday when it was announced that Higgings had suffered a thigh injury in training. He was unable to play against the Patriots, which was immediately noticeable

Chase lacked relief, and the Patriots’ secondary around cornerback Christian Gonzalez had little trouble taking away Burrow’s passing windows. Andrei Iosivas – like Chase – was thrown at six times, but only caught three balls for 26 yards.

Surprisingly, rookie Jermaine Burton played no role at all. The 23-year-old, a third-round pick in this year’s draft, impressed in the preseason, but was only on the field for four snaps against the Patriots.

After the departure of Tyler Boyd and the injury to Higgins, the quality of the pass receivers against the Patriots was simply not high enough. The defense, perfectly set up by Patriots coach Jerod Mayo, exploited this mercilessly.

NFL: Patriots defense like in the best Belichick times

In any case, the Patriots’ defense was the dominant unit in this game. Keion White in particular had an absolute cream day and collected 2.5 sacks. The departure of Judon therefore hardly mattered.

Mayo, who himself had once played as a linebacker for the Patriots under Bill Belichick and was subsequently a member of the franchise legend’s coaching staff, picked up where he left off in his defensive alignment. The Bengals, on the other hand, found no answers.

The fact that Burrow was only able to cover 29 yards on ten pass attempts against man-to-man coverage shows just how well the Patriots’ defense worked.

Speaking of Burrow, it’s also worth taking a closer look at the quarterback himself. His wrist injury from the previous year was serious and his return took a long time. How far away is he from 100 percent? At least officially, Burrow should be fit.

Bengals need to utilize the run game

The Bengals’ only touchdown against the Patriots came from the run game, with Zack Moss carrying the ball into the end zone. With a good five yards per run, the newcomer from the Indianapolis Colts was one of the bright spots.

It will be important for the Bengals to make the running game a much stronger pillar of their offense – especially when one of their top receivers is out injured. However, this will require an adjustment in the offensive scheme as well.

Since Burrow’s arrival, the Bengals have never been a team that has relied heavily on the run game. However, the importance has gone down noticeably in recent years.

Last season, the Bengals averaged just 89.8 rushing yards per game – only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers averaged fewer yards on the ground. 383 rushing attempts were only bettered by the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders.

A remarkable stat considering Burrow missed the final games of the season with injury and teams with their backup quarterback tend to run the ball more.

By comparison, in 2021, when they went to the Super Bowl, the Bengals had more rushing attempts than 13 other teams and still managed 102.5 rushing yards per game. This relief also suited Burrow.

Remarkable in this context: Running back Joe Mixon only managed at least 100 rushing yards once for the Bengals in the preseason, with 111 yards in Week 18. With the Houston Texans, he turned it on in Week 1 and ran for 159 yards against the Indianapolis Colts. So it wasn’t down to individual quality, at least in the backfield.

Where are the Bengals headed?

The difficult away game at the Kansas City Chiefs is already on the program next weekend. The Chiefs’ Arrowhead Stadium is not nicknamed “Burrowhead” among Bengals fans for nothing, as the quarterback has always flourished there.

Realistically, however, the Bengals are in danger of an 0-2 start. This could already be a painful mortgage in the fiercely competitive AFC. However, this will be followed by must-win games against the Washington Commanders and the Carolina Panthers before they could face the Baltimore Ravens with a 2-2 record.

Chase and Higgins should also be back in top form by the clash against their divisional rivals, which will give the Bengals’ offense its identity back. Still, if the Bengals fail to utilize the run game more often, the playoffs will likely remain a dream and the season threatens to be a bitter disappointment.

Especially since their own defense raises some question marks. The secondary was not challenged against the Patriots, but is considered vulnerable. The run defense, on the other hand, was pushed to its limits against Rhamondre Stevenson. But the tasks will be more difficult than easier. The prospects in Ohio have never been better