Patriots-Bengals Stock Watch: Stevenson a stud; Okorafor benched early originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The New England Patriots caught the Cincinnati Bengals — and much of the NFL world, for that matter — by surprise on Sunday.
The Patriots entered Paycor Stadium as 7.5-point underdogs and left with a gritty 16-10 victory to secure the NFL’s largest Week 1 upset since 2018. New England‘s much-maligned offensive line powered a running game that produced 170 yards and a touchdown, while its ferocious defense forced a pair of Bengals turnovers and limited quarterback Joe Burrow to just 164 passing yards.
So, who deserves their flowers from Sunday’s shocking win? Each week, Patriots Insiders Tom E. Curran and Phil Perry will highlight players who thrived (Stock Up) and players who fell short of expectations (Stock Down) in their “Patriots Stock Watch” segment.
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Leading the charge in Sunday’s Stock Watch was running back Rhamondre Stevenson, who rumbled for 120 rushing yards on 25 carries (4.8 yards per attempt) and a touchdown while racking up 110 yards after contact. On the other end of the spectrum, starting left tackle Chuwkuma Okorafor was dinged for allowing a hard hit on quarterback Jacoby Brissett that resulted in the Patriots benching him in favor of Vederian Lowe.
Stock Up
Rhamondre Stevenson, running back
Perry: “It has to go to Rhamondre Stevenson; 120 yards rushing, guy was an animal, creating all sorts of yards for himself. He said the Patriots were the hammer, not the nail when it came to their rushing attack today, and I wholeheartedly agree.”
Curran: “Sometimes you’re the windshield; sometimes you’re the bug. The Bengals were the bugs.”
Keion White, defensive end
Curran: “(White) had 2.5 sacks and was the dominant defensive force the Patriots hoped he would be when they jettisoned Matthew Judon and his contract demands to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for a third-round pick. Boy is he a problem.”
Jerod Mayo, head coach
Perry: “It felt like (Mayo) out-coached Zac Taylor between the turnovers — creating turnovers and preventing them on your own end — having an identity offensively, defensively putting a lid on what could be an explosive pass game: only 5.6 yards through the air on average — that’s how far Joe Burrow’s passes traveled beyond the line of scrimmage. That’s fantastic stuff. Make them dink and dunk all day long. I’m giving Jerod Mayo a “Stock Up” after he gets his first NFL win.”
Stock Down
Chukwuma Okorafor, offensive tackle
Perry: “I think they just realized he couldn’t do it on the left side (Sunday). He got Jacoby Brissett drilled on a third down. … It was on that long touchdown drive. It was six plays in, but on third down, Okorafor got Brissett drilled by Trey Hendrickson, which we knew was going to be a rough matchup. Brissett ended up completing the pass, extending the drive, but (Vederian) Lowe came right in and then he didn’t leave after that.
“… I think he’s just had a hard time getting dialed in all summer, all offseason, and it extended into Week 1. Obviously he’s had to move back and forth between left and right tackle, and that hasn’t been easy for him, is my understanding.”
Marco Wilson, cornerback
Perry: “I think we have to point out two relatively new defensive backs. Marco Wilson, he’s a stock downer (for committing a 20-yard pass interference penalty in the third quarter).
Dell Pettus, safety
Perry: “Dell Pettus with the illegal formation on the opening kickoff of the 2024 season? Come on Dell! What are we doing? Otherwise, special teams were fantastic.”
Check out the full “Stock Watch” segment in the video player above.
