It’s no surprise that the New England Patriots will be heavy underdogs in Sunday’s showdown with the Cincinnati Bengals.
They’re the rebuilding team heading into a lion’s den at Paycor Stadium with a first-year head coach and a new offense. The Bengals are a likely playoff contender with a healthy Joe Burrow back in at quarterback.
It makes all of the sense in the world to expect them to stomp the struggling Patriots out like ants.
But Week 1 of NFL football can be tricky.
Teams are still acclimating to regular season football, and the possibility of an upset typically peaks in the first four games. There’s also the fact that the Bengals could be playing without star receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who continues to hold out for a new contract as of Wednesday.
The Patriots have been a walking disaster on the offensive side of the ball, but the defense has been one of the best in the league. That unit could make things tough on the Bengals, even with Burrow back on the field. Chase potentially being out would create some unique opportunities for the Patriots to pull off an upset.
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