CINCINNATI — The Bengals lost 16-10 to the Patriots on Sunday at Paycor Stadium.

Cincinnati is now 0-1 on the season. They have lost their last three season openers and have not started the season with a win since the 2021 campaign.

Here are our observations after the match:

The Return of Joe Burrow

Burrow was efficient on Sunday, completing 21 of 29 passes for 164 yards. He didn’t push the ball downfield for most of the game. Outside of a 28-yard pass to Ja’Marr Chase and a deep ball to Andrei Iosivas that earned a pass interference penalty, most of his passes were close to the line of scrimmage.

The Bengals offense seemed out of sync for most of the game. They had some nice possessions, but struggled for long stretches.

Run Defense Battle

The Bengals couldn’t stop the run on Sunday. New England rushed for 163 yards. They controlled the line of scrimmage and were able to keep the Bengals defense off balance with an efficient ground game.

New England averaged 4.7 yards per attempt.

Ja’Marr plays

Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase was active on Sunday despite speculation he would not play due to contract negotiations.

Chase led the team in targets (6) and receptions (6), finishing with 62 yards. His 28-yard catch was the longest play of the day.

Convert

The Bengals gave the ball away twice on Sunday. Tanner Hudson nearly had a touchdown in the second quarter. He fumbled while stretching the ball out near the goal line.

The Bengals’ defense forced a three-and-out to start the second half, but Charlie Jones fumbled on the ensuing punt return, setting up a Patriots field goal that gave them a 13-0 lead with 11:37 left in the third quarter.

Slow start

The Bengals struggled in the first quarter. The offense generated just 17 yards of total offense in two possessions. Meanwhile, the Patriots amassed 107 total yards and scored a touchdown on the first play of the second quarter.

Cincinnati went three-and-out on their first three possessions. They nearly scored a touchdown on their fourth possession when Burrow found Mike Gesicki in the end zone. Unfortunately for the Bengals, the play was replayed and the ball hit the ground.

Burrow found Hudson in the middle of the field on the next play and he dropped the ball near the goal line.

Next

The Bengals play the Chiefs in Kansas City on Sunday, September 15 at 4:25 p.m. ET.

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