Expectations weren’t exactly high for the Patriots going into their season-opening game against the Bengals on Sunday afternoon.
With New England still in the midst of an extensive rebuild, the Patriots were listed as underdogs in every game for the 2024 season — including being labeled as 8.5-point underdogs against a Bengals team seemingly tabbed as potential Super Bowl contenders this year.
But on Sunday, the Bengals were far from formidable against a tenacious Patriots squad — with New England leaving Paycor Stadium with a 16-10 win in what stood as the top upset of Week 1 across the NFL.