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Joe Burrow, Bengals begin 2024 season as biggest Week 1 favorite

Originally posted on ClutchPoints | By Jay Postrado | Last updated 5/16/24

The NFL schedule has arrived for the 2024-25 season. A lot can be expected for the Cincinnati Bengals after their disastrous run last year. Zac Taylor will be getting his star signal caller back in Joe Burrow. Their point of attack and chemistry as a squad may have only gotten better because they’ve been through adversity last year with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins leading the way. Now, it looks like all of those hardships may turn into luck as they head into their first game of the season against the New England Patriots.

A beatdown for the Patriots?

The Bengals have jumped to become -9.5 favorites in their first game of the NFL season, per FanDuel. That figure makes them the most favored squad to win out of all teams in the league.

This comes to no one’s surprise for two reasons. Firstly, they will have a revamped squad. It looks fairly similar to the one that reached the Super Bowl two seasons ago. The most important part of that run was Joe Burrow and Zac Taylor will have him after not being able to play last season. Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins have only gotten better on offense too. Moreover, their defense with Trey Hendrickson, Sam Hubbard, and Geno Stone have all shown some promise.

The other reason why this Bengals team has that type of line for Week 1 is due to their opponents. Jerod Mayo is practically starting from scratch with the Patriots system. They currently don’t have an identity on the field yet and most of their guys have yet to fully develop. The fact that their offense would either rely on a very young Drake Maye or an inconsistent Jacoby Brissett also does not help their case.

The Patriots are also only one of two teams that are not favored to win any games next season. Bryce Young and Dave Canales’ Carolina Panthers are the other squad that shares this unfortunate feat.

Bengals’ offseason so far

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow return to the practice field during an offseason workout at the practice fields outside of Paycor Stadium Tuesday, May 7, 2024. Burrow is recovering from wrist surgery after a season-ending injury he suffered in a Week 11 © Cara Owsley/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

The first thing Zac Taylor needs to patch up is the production that they will no longer get due to the departures of DJ Reader, Joe Mixon, and Jonah Williams. All of these were a point of concern but the Bengals front office took care of that immediately. They brought in players who could contribute as soon as the first game of the season.

Trent Brown comes in for the Bengals and he will be able to help them lead the young guys. Their NFL Draft acquisitions Eric Miller, Matt Lee, and Amarius Mims are all going to need his sage wisdom. This is an increasing need because the Bengals need to protect Joe Burrow from getting harmed if they wish to make a run at the Super Bowl.

Geno Stone also gives the Bengals some defensive firepower and veteran experience. He can impart his knowledge to Lance Robinson and Daijhan Anthony among other rookies. He also complements DJ Turner, Von Bell, and Trey Hendrickson well in terms of running coverages.

A lot of good things are in store for the Bengals!

This article first appeared on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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