Everything you need to know from the Patriots’ 16-10 win over the Bengals in quickie form, with BSJ insight and analysis:
HEADLINES
Jerod Mayo earns his first win as the Patriots head coach. His team wasn't perfect, but they played disciplined football, got excellent play from special teams, and frustrated Joe Burrow and that Bengals' offense (hat tip to DeMarcus Covington). You want to build belief? This was an excellent way to start.
Jacoby Brissett gave the game what it needed. Not always, mind you, but he used his legs several times to move the chains, had a couple of third-down conversions with his arm on a massive drive that extended the Pats' lead to 16-7, and only put two balls in harm's way. The final numbers are something you'd see from a high school quarterback, but the game management was that of a nine-year pro.
Rhamondre Stevenson and Keion White deserve all the praise they get. Stevenson went for over 100 yards, but he found so many hidden yards in this game, either by avoiding surefire losses or shaking and/or powering through would-be tacklers. He looked great. As for White, the stat book has him for 2.5 sacks, but he was far more disruptive than that. Covington moved him all along the defensive front, and he was a handful for anyone who lined up across him. That was both in the pass and run game.
TURNING POINT
Tanner Hudson getting loose with the football on what should have been an easy, walk-in touchdown. It was 7-0 at that point, and it was the first drive for the Bengals that didn't result in a three-and-out. Hell of an effort by Kyle Dugger to dive and punch the ball out, but Hudson should have had that thing tucked to his side, not leaving it out there like a loaf of bread. That would likely drawn the game even (you can never count on kickers in my experience), given a frustrated crowd a jolt, and may have changed how the Pats approached the remainder of the game offensively (they were uber-conservative).
SECOND GUESS
Zac Taylor's decision to punt the ball from deep in his own territory with just over two minutes to play in the game. Yes, he had all three of his timeouts, but unless their punter flipped the field dramatically, the Bengals wouldn't get the ball back with good field positions or any remaining timeouts. Ja'Marr Chase threw a bleep fit when they sent on the punt team and got flagged for being the 12th man on the field.
THREE UP (bonus fourth!)
Offensive line: Much maligned coming in, and 16 points isn't going to win a ton of games, but it was enough today. The big fellas leaned on Cincy's defensive line, moving the chains in some critical spots while generally keeping Brissett clean (even if he was hurried quite a bit by Trey Hendrickson).
Stevenson: 25 carries for 120 yards. He said he loved the fit in this offense, and for one week (and late in the preseason), that proved true. Stevenson was quick, powerful, and set the tone.
White: 2.5 sacks. Menacing from the first snap to the last. I wrote late last week that he'd be a double-digit sack guy if he developed a little more with the pass rush. Quite frankly, with all that power, he might not need it.
Joe Cardona, Brenden Schooler, Bryce Baringer, and Joey Slye: For nearly two decades, the Pats always had one of the best special teams in football. It went away at the end of Belichick's tenure. It returned today. Cardona forced a fumble with a textbook hit that led to three points; Schooler was all over the field, making tackles and downing the football, and Baringer launched one moonshot after another. At the same time, Slye went 3-for-3 kicking field goals, a far cry from the Chad Ryland era.
THREE DOWN
Chuks Okorafor: He got benched for Vederian Lowe, who hasn't had a full week of practice since getting hurt August 21. Eliot Wolf may have swung and missed on that signing.
Alex Van Pelt: Too conservative for my liking. He managed the game, yes, but while I'm not looking for them to chuck it all over the yard - they aren't built that way - the Pats threw for 121 yards.
Josh Uche: An odd summer continued in week one. He jumped offsides, aiding a Bengals drive. Yes, Cincy didn't score (that was the Hudson fumble), Uche needs to be smarter and more effective for this team coming off the edge.
INJURIES
Nothing I saw.
TOP PLAYS
Cardona's forced fumble on a punt just before the half. Jaylinn Hawkins recovered deep in Cincy territory, and it led to an extra three points before the half (they led 10-0 at the break).
Dugger's forced fumble of Hudson. The safety has a new contract, and is a good headspace. Liked what I saw on the first watch. Took six points off the board.
TWO TAKES GIARDI WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER
If the Patriots can play as cleanly as they did in all three phases, they'll surpass my prediction of 5 wins. One game does not make a season, but I was impressed with the Pats' discipline. They didn't beat themselves, which had been an all-too-often outcome the last two seasons. The Pats became the dumb team under Belichick for whateverreason. You gotta learn how not to lose before you win. The Pats passed that test.
Stevenson will run the ball over 300 times this year. After the Van Pelt hiring, I wrote that the fourth-year pro could challenge Nick Chubb's season-high 302 carries in 2022. He's already got a head start on that with 25 runs. Stevenson's physically in better shape than he's been in years past - he redistributed the weight and looked as fresh as lettuce on that final drive. The Bengals knew he was coming. They couldn't stop him.