The Cincinnati Bengals didn’t kick off their 2024 NFL season the way fans hoped. The New England Patriots shocked everyone with a 16-10 win, at the Paycor Stadium. Bengals fans were quick to voice their frustrations on social media, judging the team’s poor performance, especially QB Joe Burrow. 

NFL legend and sportscaster Mark Schlereth got emotional while talking about the Bengals’ loss. And supported the QB Burrow. “Your two best receivers are limited. One’s not playing at all. And then Zack Moss, who’s averaging five yards of carry, gets nine attempts.” He pointed out continuing, “Take some pressure off your quarterback. He was under pressure.”

People are calling it one of the most surprising season openers, after the Bengals fell to the Patriots. Cincinnati entered the game as a 7.5-point favorite, facing a New England team that won just four games last year and was playing under new head coach Jerod Mayo. According to ESPN Research, it marked the biggest Week 1 upset since 2018, when the Buccaneers won over the Saints with 10 points.

The Bengals were facing problems with both offense and defense, especially with turnover and tackling mistakes. According to WCPO-9 TV, the QB was sacked on the second play and once again soon after. The Bengals went three-and-out on three series before a first down when Joe Burrow connected with WR Andrei Iosivas. Also, the Bengals TE Tanner Hudson fumbled near the end zone, giving the Patriots a chance to recover the ball. 

It happened after the Bengals’ first touchdown. And as officials ruled tight end Gesicki didn’t have control of the ball when he landed in the end zone, the team went into halftime without scoring even a single point. The fans do not seem happy with this and are blaming Burrow, 

Fans blame Joe Burrow for bad performance against the Patriots

Bengals’ fans are very frustrated with the mistakes the team made and gave their views on X. One said, “Bengals losing to arguably the worst team in the league.” Whereas other was frustrated with the excuses the team made, “The season-opening losses the last two seasons came with built-in excuses.” Many were openly criticizing Borrow, saying things like, “Joe Burrow shows the world yet again he can’t win without elite weapons and he’s the most overrated QB on the planet.” Joe Burrow does not seem happy with all the hate, especially since he also had many expectations from his first game after injury. 

It was also Burrow’s first game after he was followed by the wrist injury he got in the 2023 season. He went 21-of-29 for 164 yards, but the Patriots’ wonderful defense planning limited what he and the Bengals offense could do. Cincinnati only scored 224 total offensive yards and only held possession for 25:57. According to NFL Next Gen Stats. “They were taking it away,” Burrow said, referring to the ball. And mentioned, he did what the team asked him to do. Promising a better performance!