With a healthy Joe Burrow, Bengals open the season against a Patriots team looking for improvement

New England (4-13) at Cincinnati (9-8)

Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, CBS

BetMGM NFL Odds: Bengals by 9.

Series record: Patriots lead 17-10.

Last meeting: Bengals beat Patriots 22-18 on Dec. 24, 2022, at Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Patriots offense: overall (30), rush (26), pass (28), scoring (T31)

Patriots defense: overall (7), rush (14), pass (11), scoring (15)

Bengals offense: overall (22), rush (31), pass (15), scoring (16)

Bengals defense: overall (31), rush (26), pass (28), scoring (21)

Turnover differential: Vikings minus 11; Bengals plus 10.

Patriots player to watch

Veteran QB Jacoby Brissett is the starting quarterback for the opener despite being outplayed by rookie Drake Maye in the preseason.

Bengals player to watch

WR Ja'Marr Chase, who is seeking a long-term contract extension, had a “hold-in” most of training camp and the preseason before practicing on Wednesday and Thursday leading into the opener. He said Friday it was his decision whether to play. The former LSU star has put up 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first three seasons in the league and was the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2021.

Key matchup

Patriots run game vs. Bengals defense. Cincinnati defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo's goal was to cut down on explosive plays. The Patriots' new offensive coordinator, Alex Van Pelt, brought in a new run scheme, but his offensive line struggled in the preseason.

Key injuries

Bengals running back Chris Evans was having a good camp until being forced out for the season by a knee injury. ... Patriots LG Sidy Sow, who started 13 games as a rookie last season, was limited in practice after injuring his ankle in the final preseason game.

Series notes

The Patriots pulled off a four-game win streak in 1978. ‘79, ’84 and ‘85 and then again in 2004, ’06, ‘07 and ’10. The Bengals' longest win streak in the series was three, which they did once in the 1970s and again in the early 1990s. The largest margin of victory of a 45-7 win by the Bengals over the then-Boston Patriots in 1970. The series began at Fenway Park. In an American Football League game in 1968, the Boston Patriots beat the expansion Bengals 33-14.

Stats and stuff

The Patriots have not won an opener since 2020. … They have 28 new players on the 53-man roster, including 10 rookies. … Coach Jerod Mayo is in his first game as an NFL head coach. With a victory, he would be the first New England coach to win his first game since Pete Carroll in 1997. … The team has two players who were Mayo’s teammates during his last season as a player in 2015: C David Andrews and LS Joe Cardona. … Mayo is the first former Patriot to coach the team and the first head coach who played in the NFL since Raymond Berry, who played for the Baltimore Colts from 1955-67 and coached New England from 1984-89. … QB Jacoby Brissett gets the start while No. 3 overall draft pick Drake Maye learns from the sideline. Brissett is in his second stint in New England. … Maye was the highest QB drafted by the Patriots since Drew Bledsoe was selected first overall in 1993. … Maye was the first top-10 pick for the team since Mayo was taken 10th overall in 2008. ... The Bengals bolstered their offensive line with the addition of tackles Trent Brown and first-round draft pick Amarius Mims. ... Other key additions by Cincinnati included RB Zack Moss from Indianapolis, TE Mike Gesicki from the Patriots and S Geno Stone from the Ravens. ... In the most recent meeting two years ago, Burrow was 40 of 52 passing for 375 yards, three TDs and two interceptions. ... Chase and Higgins each caught eight passes in that game. ... Chase had a career-high 100 catches last season for 1,216 yards. ... He is one of four players with 80-plus catches and 1,000 receiving yards in each of his first three seasons. ... Since entering the NFL in 2021, Chase is tied for third among all players with 29 receiving touchdowns.

Fantasy tip

Burrow is healthy and his two favorite receivers should be ready to go. So far, he's shown no adverse effects from the wrist surgery. He's a good bet for Week 1.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

The Associated Press