Patriots Report Card: Run game, secondary ace first test of season originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The New England Patriots passed their first test of the 2024 NFL season with flying colors.
It was a balanced effort for Jerod Mayo’s group as it pulled off a surprise 16-10 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. There were key moments on offense, defense, and special teams that helped Mayo earn the first victory of his head-coaching career.
🔊 Patriots Talk Podcast: The Aftermath: Patriots stun Bengals in Week 1 – How’d it happen?! | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
New England will look to start its season 2-0 next Sunday when it hosts the Seattle Seahawks. First, here are NBC Sports Boston Patriots insider Phil Perry’s Week 1 grades for each Patriots position group:
Quarterback: C+
Jacoby Brissett didn’t light up the box score (15 for 24 with 121 yards and no touchdowns) but he did what he was signed to do: take care of the football. The veteran signal-caller didn’t turn the ball over and even made some plays with his legs, tallying 32 rushing yards on seven carries.
Running back: A
The Patriots leaned heavily on Rhamondre Stevenson and the fourth-year running back came through with an outstanding performance. He rushed for 120 yards and the team’s only touchdown on 25 carries. His 10 missed tackles and 118 yards after contact were the most by any running back in Week 1 ahead of Monday Night Football.
Wide receiver: B-
With Stevenson dominating, it was a relatively quiet day for the Patriots receiving corps. Tyquan Thornton had two catches for 27 yards, K.J. Osborn had three receptions for 21 yards, DeMario Douglas caught one pass for 12 yards, and rookie Ja’Lynn Polk had one catch for six yards.
Tight end: B
Newcomer Austin Hooper had two grabs and led all Patriots pass-catchers with 31 yards. Hunter Henry added two catches for 18 yards.
Offensive line: B-
All things considered, it was a successful Week 1 for the Patriots’ o-line. The group was a glaring weakness throughout training camp and preseason but put together a decent performance in Cincinnati, especially in the run game.
Pass protection was a different story. While Brissett was sacked just once, he was hit a whopping seven times. That needs to be cleaned up in Week 2 vs. Seattle.
Special teams: A-
Kicker Joey Slye converted all three of his field goals and his lone extra-point attempt. Long-snapper Joe Cardona had perhaps the play of the game, forcing a fumble on a punt return to start the third quarter.
Defensive line: B+
Second-year edge rusher Keion White put on a show with 2.5 sacks, four tackles (two for loss), and three QB hits. He strip-sacked Bengals QB Joe Burrow on the second play of the game. A breakout season for the Georgia Tech product would go a long way toward helping New England fill the void left by Matthew Judon‘s departure.
Linebacker: B+
It was a busy day for Pats veteran Ja’Whaun Bentley, who logged a game-high 12 tackles with a QB hit (half-sack). Jahlani Tavai chipped in with four tackles (one for loss) and a pass defensed.
Defensive back: A
The Patriots secondary limited Burrow to a pedestrian 164 yards with no touchdowns. Safeties Jabrill Peppers and Kyle Dugger notched 12 and six tackles apiece with Dugger adding a pass deflection and a huge forced fumble in the second quarter.
Christian Gonzalez, Marcus Jones, and Jonathan Jones each did their part to keep Cincinnati’s offense in check, including star wideout Ja’Marr Chase (six catches, 62 yards).
