Patriots finally break four-year curse in Week 1 matchup with Bengals

Perhaps the most universally agreed upon take regarding the Patriots' chances during the 2024 season was that they would stack many more losses than wins, especially in the first month. The expectation for their Week 1 matchup with the Bengals, who have been perennial Super Bowl contenders for the last few years, was they had no chance to leave Cincinnati with a win.

Because Joe Burrow is a talented young quarterback surrounded by an improved offensive line and high-powered offensive talent, most believed it would be a tall task for even a dominant Patriots defense to handle.

However, even with Ja'Marr Chase playing, they were able to limit the Bengals' offensive success to just ten points and ended the quarterback's hopes of making history with his performance in this game, which makes New England's win even sweeter.

But a cherry can be put on top of that, believe it or not, since the Patriots broke a four-year-long curse with their win.

The Patriots upset win in Week 1 breaks a 4-year curse no team wants to become normal

It's no secret that the Patriots have struggled to find the right quarterback and win games since Tom Brady left in 2020. They're now onto their third starting quarterback over the last four years, and they've also added a new head coach and staff.

Losing has unfortunately become normalized in that time, especially at the beginning of the season, which makes the Patriots' upset win over the Bengals an even better accomplishment. It was the first time in four seasons that they started the year with a win, something Cam Newton last accomplished against the Dolphins.

Besides proving the doubters, which seemed to be nearly the entire NFL fanbase, wrong, it was a fantastic way for the Patriots to officially begin the Jerod Mayo era.

It was another example of how much the players enjoy having him as their head coach, something they displayed throughout the game and even discussed with reporters after the win, and set higher standards for the rest of their 2024 season.

Considering most believed they wouldn't win a game in the first month of the year, it would be great if they could continue what they showed against a tough Bengals team over the next several weeks, which won't be an easy feat with the Seahawks, Jets, and 49ers on the docket.

More Patriots news and analysis: