Cincinnati Bengals Observations From Yet Another Disappointing Season-Opening Loss

CINCINNATI – It was another season woe-pener for the Cincinnati Bengals.

The New England Patriots came into Paycor Stadium as 8.5-point underdogs and blanked the Bengals in the first half on the way to a 16-10 upset before 66,214 sad, orange-clad fans.

The Bengals started a new tradition they dubbed “Open in Orange,” urging fans to wear the color to match the first time the team has ever worn orange pants.

A better tradition would be to come out the gate hot, something the Bengals have been unable to do.

Bengals’ Run Defense Fails Them Again Against Patriots

Sunday marked the third consecutive season opener they’ve lost, and they’ve failed to score a first-half touchdown in all three of them.

And it was the offense mostly to blame for the third year in a row.

They are 1-5 in season openers under Zac Taylor, with the lone win coming in 2021 when the Minnesota Vikings fumbled in game-winning field goal range in overtime.

Here are four observations from the latest Week 1 loss:

Ja’Marr Chase’s Workload vs. Patriots

Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase was listed as “questionable” on the injury report due to his lack of practice during his contract hold-in and waking up sick Saturday morning. Chase suited up and played, but his usage was questionable, at least early on.

Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow targeted Chase just twice in the first half, the first of which was a screen for no gain and the second a seven-yard gain for a first down.

Burrow made it a point to get Chase more involved after halftime, throwing to him on the team’s first offensive play of the third quarter. Chase had a first-down pickup on the second drive of the second half, which ended in the team’s first touchdown. And he had a 28-yarder on the first drive of the fourth quarter to get the Bengals in field goal range to close the gap to 16-10.

He finished with a team-high six catches for 62 yards.

Chase came off the field for a play off from time to time, usually after receptions, but he played close to a regular load.

Bengals Run Defense Still an Issue

There was a lot of confidence the team’s run defense problems were going to be behind them despite the loss of defensive tackle DJ Reader in free agency.

And they may be eventually.

But things got off to a rough start, with the Patriots gaining 96 yards on 18 carries (5.3 average) in the first half due to the same old issues with gap fits and missed tackles. Cornerback Dax Hill had two missed tackles that led to big runs.

The Bengals’ defense did a better job in the second half, but when they had to get a stop to get the ball back down six midway through the fourth quarter, they allowed Rhamondre Stevenson to rip off a 12-yard run on the first play of the drive.

New England had a chance to add to its total with a 4th-and-2 at the 50 with less than four minutes to go, but first-year head coach Jerod Mayo elected to punt. The Patriots got it back looking to run out the clock, and Stevenson gained five yards on first down and nine on second down to essentially seal the win.

The Patriots finished with 172 yards on 36 carries before taking knees to kill the clock.

Double Dose of Disaster

The Bengals went from watching Mike Gesicki doing the Griddy in the end zone to sending the defense on the field without scoring any points. The disastrous sequence came toward the end of the second quarter when it twice looked as though the Bengals were going to tie the game at 7-7.

Gesicki’s leaping touchdown in the back corner of the end zone set off a short-lived celebration. Officials overturned the call when replays showed Gesicki lost control of the ball going to the ground.

On the next play, Burrow hit tight end Tanner Hudson on a 3rd-and-11 slant that looked as though it would end in a touchdown. But Hudson curiously raised his right arm with the ball in his hand, and New England’s Kyle Dugger knocked it free just before Hudson crossed the goal line.

The self-inflicted issues continued after halftime, as Charlie Jones fumbled a punt return, giving New England a short field at the Cincinnati 24. The Patriots converted it into a Joey Slye field goal for a 13-0 lead.

Ryan Rehkow’s Punting Record

Rookie punter Ryan Rehkow’s second punt of the game was the longest in Bengals history, covering 80 yards and barely trickling into the end zone on the other side of the pylon.

Rehkow won the punting job by default when Brad Robbins suffered a hip flexor injury during training camp.

Robbins is on Injured Reserve, so the first month of the season is going to be an extension of the battle for Rehkow, and Sunday was an excellent start.

Rehkow also had a 70-yard punt from the shadow of his end zone with 2:13 left in the game.