Patriots begin life without Bill Belichick vs. optimistic Bengals

CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Bengals have great expectations and a high level of uncertainty, while the New England Patriots are set to enter the unknown of a new era when the teams open the 2024 season on Sunday afternoon.

In his first action since a season-ending wrist injury last November and subsequent surgery, Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow played the first series of the preseason but didn’t take the field for the remainder of the exhibition schedule.

Burrow completed 5 of 7 passes for 51 yards, including a 10-yard score to Tee Higgins in a 17-14 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Aug. 10. He then got his work in through a pair of joint practices with the Chicago Bears and Indianapolis Colts. And now Burrow, who bounced back from ACL and MCL tears in his rookie season (2020), believes he’s ready to go for Week 1.

“I feel like I’m healthy. I feel like I’m physically strong and I’ll be able to go out and do what I need to do,” Burrow said. “Whenever you have those kinds of injuries, it’s a process throughout the season, just like with the knee. You’re going to have some days where you feel good and some days where you don’t, and you’re going to get better throughout the season.”

Burrow getting back to form would bode well for Cincinnati’s Super Bowl chances, which could also hinge on star receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who has been dealing with an ongoing contract dispute.

Chase came back to practice on Wednesday and was limited after not participating at all in training camp and the preseason. The Bengals officially deemed Chase questionable for Sunday; he called himself a game-time decision.

“He’s going to go out and play really well, I know that,” Burrow said of Chase. “We’ll see for Sunday. I don’t have any expectations right now what that’s going to look like. I know if he’s out there what type of player he’s going to be.”

Chase’s hold-in has centered around the demand for a contract extension similar to that of former LSU teammate and Minnesota Vikings star Justin Jefferson, who received a four-year, $140 million extension with $110 million guaranteed on June 3.

Higgins, meanwhile, picked up a hamstring injury on Thursday and did not practice Friday. He was listed as doubtful for Sunday. Rookie offensive tackle Amarius Mims (pectoral) and defensive tackle Kris Jenkins (thumb) were ruled out.

The Patriots are entering a new era, and for the first time since 1999, Bill Belichick will not be on the sideline coaching the team. After winning six Super Bowls and reaching three others, the Patriots are rebuilding with new head coach Jerod Mayo, a longtime player and assistant coach for New England.

Coming off a 4-13 season, the Patriots chose quarterback Drake Maye with the third overall pick in this year’s draft. He played for a good chunk of the preseason, but it will be veteran signal-caller Jacoby Brissett getting the start against the Bengals.

The key for New England under Mayo will be winning in the trenches.

“I think we have to go out there and really be able to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. I think we need to play well on special teams as well, but it’s about the line of scrimmage,” Mayo said. “It’s about controlling the line of scrimmage and controlling the game. …

“(The Bengals) have a high-powered team. They have a high-powered offense, and I think the defense is aggressive because they know they have a high-powered offense.”

Guard Sidy Sow (ankle) was ruled out for the game. Running back Antonio Gibson (hip), offensive tackle Vederian Lowe (abdomen) and linebacker Joshua Uche (foot) are questionable.

–Mike Petraglia, Field Level Media

New-look Commanders could pose challenge to Buccaneers

Quarterback Jayden Daniels will make his professional debut on Sunday afternoon when the visiting Washington Commanders face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the season opener for both teams.

Daniels, the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft, beat out veteran Marcus Mariota to land the starting job.

“We knew we would get here, but we were just excited to see how we would,” Washington coach Dan Quinn said of the rapid development he saw from Daniels. “So, seeing him hit all the spots, this is a rare competitor, and those are the things that I knew about him.”

While the Commanders didn’t show off Daniels all that much this preseason, Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles has a general idea of what the Buccaneers will be dealing with on Sunday.

“He can beat you with his legs or his arm,” Bowles said of Daniels. “He was taken that high for a reason.”

Daniels is aware that there will be challenges in his debut, and he knows that he will have to adjust on the fly.

“It’s not gonna be a finished product Week 1, but just try to get better and go out there and go through some growing pains,” Daniels said. “You’re a rookie. You’re not gonna have everything perfect.”

Quinn is also a newcomer, taking over at the helm after serving as the Dallas Cowboys’ defensive coordinator from 2021-23. He will be trying to help Washington get back on track after the Commanders went just 4-13 last season.

It’s been a different story for Tampa Bay, which has won three straight NFC South titles.

Last season’s success was fueled by former No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield, who completed 64.3 percent of his passes for 4,044 yards and 28 touchdowns — all career bests.

There have been some changes for the Buccaneers, though, as Liam Coen took over as offensive coordinator for Dave Canales, who is now the coach of the Carolina Panthers. Tampa Bay also has a new center in rookie Graham Barton, a first-round draft pick out of Duke.

Barton has been taking the time to scout the Commanders’ defensive line as he prepares for his NFL debut.

“A lot of respect for what I’ve seen so far of them on tape,” Barton said. “It’s going to present a unique challenge for us, but I think we’re ready.”

The Buccaneers’ offense does still feature star wideout Mike Evans, who was tied with the Miami Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill for the most touchdown receptions (13) in the league last season. Evans had 79 catches for 1,255 yards.

Even with Mayfield and Evans leading the way, putting up points against Washington could be tough due to Quinn’s defensive background. The Commanders also got some reinforcements this offseason, bringing in linebacker Frankie Luvu and safety Jeremy Chinn.

“They’ve got some talented players up there,” Bowles said. “I’ll probably be saying this every week. We don’t play any scrubs anymore. … It’s going to be a tough challenge. We know they’re a tough bunch.”

Bucs defensive lineman Logan Hall (foot) did not practice all week and was ruled out for the game. Defensive lineman Calijah Kancey (calf) popped up on Friday’s injury report as limited and is questionable, along with wide receiver Trey Palmer (concussion). Kicker Chase McLaughlin (abdomen/illness) was cleared to play after sitting out Wednesday.

Mariota (chest/pectoral) was ruled out for Washington, meaning Jeff Driskel will be QB2 behind Daniels. Defensive tackle Jer’Zhan Newtown (foot) is doubtful.

–Field Level Media

Texans open season, division title defense at Colts

Week 1 of the NFL season is always a big deal.

From the view of second-year Indianapolis Colts coach Shane Steichen, it’s a bigger deal when you open with a division rival.

That’s what Indianapolis does Sunday as it welcomes the defending AFC South champion Houston Texans.

“You want to win division games, you want to win a division championship. It starts in the division and you got to win at home right off the bat,” he said. “So it’ll be an extra challenge. It’s a good football team we’re playing, but I know our guys are going to be geared up and ready to roll on Sunday.”

If that’s the case, the Colts will reverse a decade-long trend. They are 0-9-1 in their last 10 season openers, which includes a 20-20 tie two years ago in Houston and a loss to start 2020 in Jacksonville, which went on to drop the next 15 games.

Last year’s season opener saw Indianapolis fall 31-21 to Jacksonville in 2023 first-round draft pick Anthony Richardson’s NFL debut. The quarterback played just three more games before a season-ending shoulder injury thrust Gardner Minshew into the job.

With Minshew now starting in Las Vegas, the Colts tossed the keys back to Richardson. The game plan is to use former NFL rushing champion Jonathan Taylor and Richardson to pound away at defenses, then let Richardson take shots downfield off play-action.

“As he showed with the limited amount of snaps that he’s had, he’s shown that he could be a dynamic playmaker and running the ball,” said Houston coach DeMeco Ryans. “Also throwing the football.”

Despite Richardson’s absence over the last 13 games, Indianapolis still pieced together a top-10 scoring offense, averaging 23.3 points per game. But its defense finished 28th at 24.4 ppg, helping to keep the Colts out of the postseason.

That unit will get an immediate test in Week 1.

Houston loaded up for a championship run behind second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud. He led the Texans to a surprise division title last year, showing not only talent but poise belying his youth.

Now Stroud has more veteran weapons around him. Houston added wide receiver Stefon Diggs and a workhorse running back in Joe Mixon who can also catch the ball. The Texans aim to do with Stroud what the Buffalo Bills have done with quarterback Josh Allen — build the talent base around him and force their way to the front of the queue in the AFC.

Diggs is looking forward to a fresh start with Houston after his time ran out with the Bills. Diggs’ production fell off sharply in the final two-thirds of 2023, even though he finished with 107 catches, and he freely admits that he was in the “worst mental space” since he jumped into the NFL.

“If I’m not in a good space, obviously that’s not the best for me,” he said. “That’s when things had to start shaking out.”

The Colts ruled out wide receiver Josh Downs (ankle) for the season opener. Kicker Matt Gay is questionable due to a hernia; undrafted rookie Spencer Shrader would step in if Gay is unavailable Sunday. Houston ruled out just one player, cornerback M.J. Stewart (knee).

The Colts own a 32-11-1 lead in the all-time series, but the Texans have won the last two matchups at Lucas Oil Stadium, including a 23-19 verdict in January that clinched a playoff berth.

–Field Level Media

QBs Kirk Cousins, Russell Wilson test new digs with Falcons, Steelers

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — When the Atlanta Falcons host the Pittsburgh Steelers in the regular-season opener Sunday, veteran quarterbacks eager to make a statement with their new teams are center stage.

For Atlanta, all eyes will be on the revamped offense led by 36-year-old quarterback Kirk Cousins, who signed a four-year, $180 million contract in March to leave Minnesota.

The four-time Pro Bowler threw for 2,331 yards and 18 touchdowns in eight games with the Vikings in 2023 before tearing his Achilles. Cousins replaces Desmond Ridder in Atlanta.

The offseason additions have the Falcons in the conversation in the NFC South as they vie for their first winning season and postseason appearance since 2017.

“I’m very aware of the perception right now that our offense is going to be really great,” Cousins said. “We’ve got all these great players, but that’s only perception. It’s our job to make it reality. Until we go on the field and do it, I don’t feel any assurance on that.”

Sunday marks the start of a new era on the Atlanta sideline. Raheem Morris was named Falcons head coach in January. Morris was previously Atlanta’s interim coach for the final 11 games of 2020, going 4-7, as well as leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 17-31 record from 2009-11.

Morris, 48, was hired following three seasons as the Rams defensive coordinator. Assuming the role as head coach for the first time since the end of the 2020 season, Morris hasn’t let the moment get to him but knows what’s coming Sunday.

“My jitters usually don’t hit until right before the national anthem,” Morris said. “I don’t know if it’s the emotion of the anthem or what, but a grayness hits you and you’re ready to go play. In the preparation of it all, you build so much confidence in your process that you feel really calm about how you want to go about your business.”

Morris will face off against a former colleague in Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. The two were defensive assistants together in Tampa from 2002-05 and remain friends.

Tomlin and the Steelers will roll out a new-look offense headed up by former Falcons coach Arthur Smith and a new quarterback.

Russell Wilson, who was released by the Denver Broncos, was named the starter last week over Justin Fields, who as acquired from the Bears.

Wilson, a nine-time Pro Bowl selection and a Super Bowl champion with the Seattle Seahawks, won the starting job in the offseason and appears ready to lead Pittsburgh in a competitive AFC North.

“I’m super excited to be here,” Wilson said. “Obviously, I came here to help us win. That’s the focus. I think the best part is how hard we’ve worked from OTA’s to Latrobe (training camp). We’ve got a great season ahead of us.”

Wilson is nursing a calf injury and was listed as questionable on Friday.

After a legendary Seahawks career, Wilson spent a pair of tumultuous seasons in Denver, where he was benched for the last two weeks of 2023 as a way for the Broncos to “preserve financial flexibility.” Wilson then signed a one-year deal for the veteran’s minimum with Pittsburgh.

Morris noted that linebacker Nate Landman (quad) and tight end Kyle Pitts (hamstring) were both limited Wednesday. But both players practiced in full Friday and are good to go for the contest.

Steelers starting left guard Isaac Seumalo is out for the opener after leaving an Aug. 28 practice with a pectoral injury. Center Nate Herbig will miss the season with a torn rotator cuff.

Receiver Roman Wilson (ankle) and defensive tackle Logan Lee (calf) also will sit out.

The all-time series between the Falcons and Steelers has been largely one-sided, with Pittsburgh holding a 15-2-1 edge. Atlanta’s last win was on Oct. 22, 2006.

–Jack Batten, Field Level Media

Vikings’ Sam Darnold eager to prove himself in opener vs. Giants

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones and Minnesota Vikings signal-caller Sam Darnold have a few things in common — and some key differences — heading into a Sunday afternoon season-opening matchup in East Rutherford, N.J.

Jones is trying to prove that he deserves to keep his job as the Giants’ starter in his sixth year with New York. Meanwhile, Darnold, in his first season with the Vikings, wants to assure the front office, coaching staff, teammates and fans that he has what it takes to be under center for 17 games.

Both teams are looking to move on from losing seasons as they attempt to become playoff contenders. The Giants went 6-11 in 2023, while Minnesota finished 7-10.

“(I’m) just understanding better the role of a quarterback,” said Darnold, who spent last season with the San Francisco 49ers as a backup. “That’s like what coach (Kevin) O’Connell says to me: just to kind of play point guard, give it to our guys in space and let them go do work.”

In 2023, Jones started six games for New York before tearing his right anterior cruciate ligament in November and missing the rest of the season. He completed 67.5 percent of his passes for 909 yards, two touchdowns and six interceptions, and his 70.5 passer rating was the lowest of his career.

Jones, 27, has a new weapon in rookie wideout Malik Nabers, whom the team selected sixth overall out of LSU in this year’s draft. Other playmakers, including receiver Darius Slayton, will look to make a difference against the Vikings’ new-look secondary, which is led by free agent signee Stephon Gilmore.

Slayton said he and his teammates feel confident entering the opening week of the season.

“In Week 1, you haven’t seen anybody playing any real game,” Slayton said. “You have an idea of what people are going to do, what they’ve done in the past and the type of schemes that they’ve liked in the past. But at the end of the day, it’s about going out there and executing.

“All 11 of us are on the same page, getting to the stuff we want to get to and trying to dictate the game as much as possible on offense.”

The Vikings will try to do their part on defense under defensive coordinator Brian Flores. Minnesota selected linebacker Dallas Turner out of Alabama in the first round of the April draft, and he will have an opportunity to rush the pocket alongside free agent signee Jonathan Greenard, who had 12.5 sacks with the Houston Texans a season ago.

The Giants also hope that a new addition bolsters their pass rush.

Brian Burns joined New York from the Carolina Panthers via trade during the offseason. He hopes to form a tough combination for opposing offensive lines to stop alongside Dexter Lawrence II, who will start at nose tackle.

“I’d be disappointed if I weren’t a double-digits sack guy anywhere,” Burns said. “I mean, but that’s just my personal goals.”

Burns, however, appeared on the Giants’ injury report after an ankle injury limited him in Friday’s practice. His status for Sunday is unknown.

Flores praised New York’s offensive ability but said his defense would be ready to contain New York.

“Week 1, everyone has some new wrinkles,” Flores said. “Everyone’s got a new play they can’t wait to run. I got a couple myself.”

Vikings wide receivers Jordan Addison and Jalen Nailor were full participants in Friday’s practice after being limited on Wednesday and Thursday.

The Giants had four players limited during Friday’s practice aside from Burns, including linebacker Micah McFadden (groin) and safety Dane Belton (back).

–Field Level Media

Cowboys back Dak Prescott, begin season with rugged Browns

Cleveland crumpled quarterbacks on the regular last season, but the Browns couldn’t keep theirs healthy.

The Cowboys had the MVP runner-up under center, but Dallas was destroyed by an up-and-comer in another playoff disappointment.

Retooled and driven to get back to the postseason, the Cowboys travel to Cleveland for a Week 1 matchup destined to be determined by quarterbacks Dak Prescott and Deshaun Watson.

Prescott and the Cowboys went 12-5 last season, won the NFC East and hosted a playoff game. Because Prescott lost for a fifth time in the postseason and has just two career playoff wins, the national narrative since a home-field drubbing at the hands of the Green Bay Packers ended Dallas’ 2023 season has been something other than Pro-Dak.

Dallas wide receiver Brandin Cooks took up defense of Prescott on Wednesday as the Cowboys step into the challenge of solving Cleveland’s toothy defense with defensive end Myles Garrett front and center.

“The guy shows up every year, year in and year out. Putting up numbers, leading his team,” Cooks said of Prescott. “He can’t do it all by himself. A lot of those great quarterbacks that I’ve been with, Tom (Brady) and Drew (Brees), don’t get me wrong, they won a lot of games, won a lot of Super Bowls, but they had a lot of help around them as well, right?

“Us players around (Prescott) also got to step up. So when we hear that disrespect, I take that personally, and as his teammates, we should take that personally.”

Prescott and the Cowboys have been mired in a standoff over his contract status since last season ended. He’s in the final year of a four-year, $160 million deal and cannot be retained with the franchise tag.

It’s not as simple as “paying Dak,” according to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

Jones is lighter in the wallet after coming to the table to deliver a four-year, $136 million extension to get record-setting receiver CeeDee Lamb in the fold for Week 1 after a training camp holdout. And a bigger payday could be around the corner for pass rusher Micah Parsons by this time next year.

Lamb, 25, earned All-Pro first-team honors and set franchise records in 2023 with 135 receptions for 1,749 yards. He’ll be locking up with Browns cornerback Denzel Ward in a popcorn-worthy matchup to focus on this week. Lamb said he’s rooting for Prescott to stay with the Cowboys.

“I have no doubt that they’re gonna get a deal done. We all know that I want Dak here. Jerry wants Dak here, too, so let’s just get this under control and kill the speculation,” Lamb said.

Watson has his own battle to fight. The Browns went to the playoffs on the revived arm of Joe Flacco following a season-ending shoulder injury that Watson sustained.

With 12 total starts since the end of the 2020 season, Watson said he’s recovered from that injury and is prepared to prove his value. That’s a serious ask considering he’s in the middle of a five-year, $230 million contract that the team fully guaranteed when he was acquired from the Houston Texans.

“Regardless (of) if you won MVP or if you didn’t play last year, it’s a new year,” Watson said Wednesday. “In this league, if you’re focusing on last year, then you’re going to get left behind.”

The Browns are leaving former All-Pro running back Nick Chubb behind — at least for the first four games of the campaign — after a devastating knee injury in Week 2 last season. Jerome Ford, who teamed with Kareem Hunt to take Chubb’s workload in 2023, is the lead back facing the Cowboys to start the 2024 season.

Meanwhile, Ezekiel Elliott is back for Dallas and is listed first on the depth chart. Elliott, drafted in the first round in 2016, the year Prescott was picked in the fourth round, reunited with Dallas after spending last season as a backup with the New England Patriots.

Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy reiterated that there is a committee approach at running back that will include Rico Dowdle. And for anyone reacting to the Week 1 depth chart, McCarthy had another message for them and the team entering the season opener.

“I have plans for 21 games,” he said of the long view of a season that would culminate with the Super Bowl.

The Cowboys listed just one player as out for Sunday’s game: tight end John Stephens (hamstring). The Browns will be without left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. (knee), while right tackle Jack Conklin (knee) is listed as questionable.

–Field Level Media

Bills bring wild-card WR corps into opener with Cardinals, Marvin Harrison Jr.

Knocking on the championship door but unable to break through, the Buffalo Bills are determined to design another route to the Super Bowl.

The Bills begin their quest of reaching the postseason for the seventh time in eight seasons when they battle the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday at Orchard Park, N.Y.

Buffalo (11-6 last season) had its Super Bowl hopes dashed by the Kansas City Chiefs for the third time in the past four seasons in January. After losing to the Chiefs in the 2020 AFC Championship Game, the Bills have been eliminated in the divisional round the past three seasons.

Due to cap constraints and uneven results, the Bills underwent revamping in the spring. Among the departures are receivers Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis, center Mitch Morse, cornerback Tre’Davious White and safety Jordan Poyer.

The trade of Diggs to the Houston Texas certainly was the signature move as the club parted ways with a talented player who was a distraction at times. But not having a bona fide go-to wideout isn’t an issue to star quarterback Josh Allen.

“Yeah, we’ve got a lot of new guys, new faces, and just trying to spread the wealth,” Allen said Wednesday. “I think the term we’ve been using is ‘Everybody eats’ and it’s going to take all 11 guys on the field at any given time to make a play go. That’s our mindset. It doesn’t really matter who gets the ball or when they get it. We’re going to be happy for whatever we’re doing out there and just try to make the best play possible.”

Khalil Shakir, who caught two touchdowns in the postseason, and newcomer Curtis Samuel (62 catches for Washington last season) figure to be the top targets. Veteran Marquez Valdes-Scantling and second-round draft pick Keon Coleman also are part of the mix.

Familiarity is in short supply. Shakir is the lone receiver who has caught a pass from Allen in an official game.

“I feel like teams don’t even know what we’re gonna do,” Samuel said. “And I feel like that’s a great thing. We got so many weapons, so many different guys that could do a lot of different things. I feel like that makes us scary.”

The Cardinals (4-13) are hoping to have an explosive tandem with No. 4 overall pick Marvin Harrison Jr. on board to catch throws from quarterback Kyler Murray. Harrison played just three snaps in the preseason without a ball thrown his way, so Sunday is the day Arizona’s new present is formally unwrapped.

“I know what type of talent he is and I know what he’s capable of,” said Murray, “but we have to go out there and do it.”

Murray is looking forward to this season now that his serious knee injury is behind him. He tore the ACL in his right knee against the New England Patriots during a Monday night affair on Dec. 12, 2022.

He returned to game action exactly 11 months later and passed for 1,799 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions in eight games last season.

“Football has been on my mind this whole offseason,” Murray said. “It always is but last year, being hurt and having to rehab and stuff like that, (I tried) not to get too far away from the game mentally. I have had this on my mind for a long time, what I want to accomplish, what I want this team to accomplish, so it doesn’t feel brand new.”

The Cardinals have played in just one postseason game during Murray’s previous five NFL seasons — a wild-card round loss to the Los Angeles Rams during the 2021 season.

Receiver Xavier Weaver (oblique) is out Sunday for Arizona, while rookie tight end Tip Reiman (ankle) and safety Joey Blount (back) are both questionable after being limited participants in Friday’s practice.

Defensive end Javon Solomon (oblique) will miss Sunday’s game for the Bills, while defensive end Dawuane Smoot (toe) is questionable after missing Friday’s practice.

–Field Level Media