The New England Patriots are already facing an uphill battle entering the 2024 NFL season, at least as far as their general perception is concerned. Frankly, coming off a 4-13 season and with a major rebuild underway, expectations are not particularly high for the team of first-year head coach Jerod Mayo.
That is one part of the reason why New England is the biggest underdog in the NFL in Week 1, and why a loss against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday would be anything but surprising. Of course, the Patriots won’t go down without a fight either.