“That Super Bowl run was a fluke for sure” – Joe Burrow’s return as Bengals starter ends in a disappointing 16-10 loss to Patriots; fans react

Joe Burrow's return to the Bengals' lineup fell flat as they lost to the Patriots on 2024 opening day following his lengthy injury layoff.

“That Super Bowl run was a fluke for sure” – Joe Burrow’s return as Bengals starter ends in a disappointing 16-10 loss to Patriots; fans react

(L) Jacoby Brissett and (R) Joe Burrow (Image via IMAGO)

Joe Burrow is still rusty, or perhaps Jerod Mayo found a way to keep a leash on one of the NFL’s most potent attacks. The end results screamed the strategy that stood out the most: run the ball and don’t let the opposition have the chance to intercept any pass.

It definitely worked for Jacoby Brissett’s return to the New England Patriots’ starting lineup. At every given moment, Brissett found ways to hand the ball off to running back Rhamondre Stevenson, who casually chugged in 125 yards on 20 carries as the Patriots rushed for 170 of their 290 total yards.

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Joe Burrow and the Bengals were the complete opposite, with only 224 yards on the ground and through the air combined. If head coach Zac Taylor wanted to play safe so that his #1 quarterback did not hurt his throwing wrist again, then it worked. On the flip side, they lost the game 10-16 against a rookie head coach and a patched-up offensive line.

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Football fans question Joe Burrow and the Bengals future after loss against the Patriots

The Bengals were operating at full strength even after Ja’Marr Chase’s contract fiasco jeopardized his starting position on the team. Chase was Burrow’s most-hit target, as often is the case, but only 6 receptions from 9 attempts and 62 yards aren’t exactly a statistic that will light fears among their AFC rivals, such as the Chiefs, Ravens, Steelers, Browns, Jets, and Texans.

Joe Burrow
Joe Burrow (Image via IMAGO)

The early-season jitters might be the reason for the Bengals’ inability to make plays as freely as their fans are used to seeing, even with their cool all-orange attire on display. Burrow was playing for the first time since his famous sideline cry in pain at the Ravens game last year. However, losing to the 4-13 Patriots (2023) is bound to create tension and confusion among players and fans.

Zac Taylor assesses opening day loss to Patriots

With the loss to the Patriots on Saturday, Zac Taylor is now 1-10 in the first 2 weeks of league football as a head coach in the NFL. In the post-match presser, Taylor acknowledged it was a disappointing game.

We didn’t serve fast enough for first on offense, 3 straight 3 and outs. Lost the turnover battle essentially 3 to nothing—one on offense and one on special teams, and one of them turnover in downs and did not get any [yards] of them and missed a lot of yards today [as] they do 170 rushing yards today.
Zac Taylor said (H/T: Bengals official website)
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Well, the Patriots took their chances on turnovers, scoring 10 of their 16 points. Fortunately for the Bengals, it was only the first game of the season, and as they say, ‘it’s not how you start but how you finish’ matters the most in the long run. Their next game is against the reigning Super Bowl champions the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead.

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