Back to the New England Patriots Newsfeed

Patriots report card: How we graded New England in their Week 1 win vs. Bengals

The New England Patriots entered Week 1 as the biggest betting underdogs in the NFL, and somehow, they managed to overcome the lopsided odds by upsetting the Cincinnati Bengals on the road.

Tee Higgins was out with an injury, but the Bengals still had their starting quarterback, Joe Burrow, and star wideout Ja'Marr Chase on the field. That wasn't enough to stave off a hungry Patriots team looking to make a statement under first-year head coach Jerod Mayo.

Was this a one-and-done performance for New England, or are they legitimately a better team than the one that finished with a 4-13 record last season?