Patriots Catch Big Break Ahead of Week 1 Matchup
The 2024 NFL regular season is here! For the next four months, all 32 teams in the NFL will be competing on a weekly basis as they chase the Lombardi trophy. Some teams have higher expectations compared to others.
New England is at the beginning stages of a rebuild while the Cincinnati Bengals are looking to get back into the playoffs to pursue another Super Bowl appearance.
The Patriots and the Bengals match up on Sept. 8 at 1 p.m. ET but New England may catch a huge break.
Bengals are listing Tee Higgins as doubtful for Sunday’s game vs. the Patriots due to his hamstring injury, and Ja’Marr Chase as questionable.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 6, 2024
NFL News: Cincinnati WRs’ Status in Doubt in for Week 1
The Bengals have availability questions about both Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Chase has been seeking a long-term extension to become one of the highest-paid receivers in the league but hasn't been able to secure that.
As for Higgins, he tweaked his hamstring this week and missed practice on Friday. Now head coach Zach Taylor said "we'll see" regarding their availability.
When healthy, these two guys form one of the best WR duos in the league. In three seasons, Chase has notched 268 receptions for 3,717 yards, and 29 touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Higgins has compiled 257 catches for 3,684 yards and 24 touchdowns in four seasons.
If the Bengals don't have either player out there, that would be a massive advantage for the Patriots. New England has a lot of moving parts under this new regime so if they don't have to deal with the trio of Joe Burrow, Chase, and Higgins, they would be thrilled.
Things can't change over the next couple of days but this isn't ideal for the Bengals. And that bodes well for Jerod Mayo's club.
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