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Another three and out for New England — 2:55 p.m.

Cincinnati will start its next drive inside the 10-yard line after a Patriots three and out and a 47-yard punt from Bryce Baringer. Jacoby Brissett is facing more pressure in this second half than he did in the first, though the Bengals don’t have any points to show for it.

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Patriots 13, Bengals 0 | 11:34, Q3

Patriots kick another field goal, lead 13-0 — 2:40 p.m.

Joey Slye adds another 3 points to the Patriots’ tally with a 35-yard field goal. The Patriots lead, 13-0, with 11:34 left in the third quarter.

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Patriots go three and out, but get the ball right back — 2:35 p.m.

What a turn of events for the Patriots. New England sent Bryce Baringer out for a punt after going three and out, and long snapper Joe Cardona knocked the ball out on the return. Jaylinn Hawkins jumped on it, setting the Patriots up at the Cincinnati 25-yard line.

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Halftime stats — 2:15 p.m.

At halftime in Cincinnati, here’s a look at the stats leaders through two quarters.

Patriots

Jacoby Brissett: 8 for 14, 79 yards

Rhamondre Stevenson: 11 carries, 60 yards, 1 TD

Tyquan Thornton: Two catches, 27 yards

Bengals

Joe Burrow: 10 of 13, 70 yards

Zack Moss: Four carries, 10 yards

Tanner Hudson: Two catches, 18 yards

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Christopher Price’s halftime analysis — 2:15 p.m.

By Christopher Price

Two quarters are in the books here at Paycor Stadium, and the Patriots hold a 10-0 lead.

Here are a few quick notes:

• A very good start to the season for the Patriots, who absorbed an initial emotional punch from the Bengals in their home opener, scored a touchdown of their own, and kept Cincinnati out of the end zone over the first two quarters. There were a few missteps, but all in all, a double-digit lead on the road against a team with legit Super Bowl aspirations is a very good way to begin the year.

• For years, Tom Brady was one of the secret of the success of the New England offensive line. His pocket presence and awareness allowed him to adeptly buy some time when things broke down. In the first half, Jacoby Brissett flashed some of the same skill set. The Patriots were suffering under some withering pressure early from Cincinnati defensive end Trey Hendrickson, who was absolutely working Chukwuma Okorafor.

New England then yanked Okorafor late in the first quarter for Vederian Lowe, who did a marginally better job guiding Hendrickson to the outside. Brissett then was able to step into the void, using the extra couple of seconds to find an open receiver. It’s a small thing, but it certainly helped the Patriots on their first scoring drive of the afternoon. (And while Jerod Mayo talked this week about rotating guys to try and keep them fresh, I’d be surprised to see the Patriots go back to Okorafor this afternoon.)

• One of the points of emphasis for New England this week was running the ball, being physical, and controlling the line of scrimmage. (The idea is that the best way to beat the Cincinnati offense was to keep it off the field.) The Patriots executed that well in the early going, moving the ball and maintaining control while putting their stamp on the game early. That was really evident on the 14-play, 80-yard scoring drive that consumed 7:20 and ended with a 3-yard run from Rhamondre Stevenson. You take it with a grain of salt because there’s a lot of football to be played, but by way of comparison, the Patriots had one drive last year that went longer than 7:20 that ended in a touchdown.

• In that same vein, the Patriots found success running the ball when they went to big sets with Caedan Wallace entering the game as an extra tight end. Wouldn’t be shocked to see more of that in the second half, both from a pass protection and a run-blocking standpoint.

• No illegal formation calls on the Patriots’ offensive line over the first two quarters.

• Biggest defensive play of the first half came with just over five minutes left in the second quarter. After a Cincinnati touchdown pass for Mike Gesicki was called back upon review, Joe Burrow went back to Tanner Hudson, who appeared to have a clear path to the end zone, only to have it knocked away by Kyle Dugger. Marcus Jones scooped up the ball, giving it back to New England and keeping the Patriots’ shutout alive. A dose of the turnover magic we didn’t see much of last season, and a terrific bang-bang play for the New England defense.

• After a week’s worth of drama, Ja’Marr Chase was in the starting lineup for the Bengals, but wasn’t a serious factor, finishing the first half with two catches for 7 yards. (He appeared to be on a snap count.) One thing worth noting was that every time Cincinnati broke the huddle, Christian Gonzalez trailed Chase. It’ll be worth keeping an eye out in the second half, but it certainly appears that the second-year corner is going to be charged with trying to contain Chase today.

• Cincinnati’s Ryan Rehkow delivered an 80-yard punt that very nearly pinned the Patriots at their 1-yard line. (It set a franchise record in Rehkow’s first game as a member of the Bengals, and was the unquestioned special teams highlight of the first half for either team.) Bryce Baringer had a pair of punts that averaged 50 yards. One other special teams note: the Patriots started the season on an inauspicious note, as Dell Pettus was flagged for illegal formation on the opening kickoff.

• The Patriots will get the ball to start the second half.

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Patriots 10, Bengals 0 | Halftime

Patriots settle for field goal, extend lead into halftime — 2:15 p.m.

New England is in control at halftime. The Patriots lead 10-0 and have controlled the pace with two long scoring drives. New England was knocking on the door just before halftime, but the Bengals held strong and forced the Patriots to settle for a 32-yard field goal from Joey Slye.

Rhamondre Stevenson has been the key for New England; he’s got 60 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries.

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Stevenson, Patriots driving to close half — 2:08 p.m.

By Nicole Yang

Rhamondre Stevenson is moving. He’s earned four straight touches on this drive for yardage gains of 16, 6, 17, and 1. Stevenson is clearly New England’s lead back and delivering.

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Kyle Dugger forces a huge takeaway, Patriots take over — 2:05 p.m.

By Nicole Yang

What a turn of events right there. First, the Bengals thought they had a touchdown but the call was overturned. Then, it looked like they were going to score again, but Patriots safety Kyle Dugger made a hell of a play to knock the ball free from Tanner Hudson’s arms as he was approaching the goal line. Marcus Jones recovered, and New England has the ball back.

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Bengals TD called back after review — 2:00 p.m.

Mike Gesicki thought he had a touchdown for the Bengals with a catch in the corner of the end zone, but officials reviewed it and reversed the call. Gesicki is in his first season with the Bengals after spending last season with New England, where he had 244 yards and 2 touchdowns on 29 receptions.

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New England goes three and out — 1:45 p.m.

New England goes three and out on its first possession since Stevenson’s score. Brissett threw two incompletions to K.J. Osborn, bringing Bryce Baringer back out for the second time today.

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Patriots 7, Bengals 0 | 14:58, Q2

Patriots open the scoring with first TD drive — 1:33 p.m.

Rhamondre Stevenson scores on the first play of the second quarter, finding a big gap to waltz into the end zone mostly untouched from 3 yards out. Joey Slye’s extra point is good, capping off a drive that took more than seven minutes.

Jacoby Brissett looks comfortable despite taking heat from his blindside, as Chukwuma Okorafor has struggled to block Trey Hendrickson on the left edge.

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Patriots 0, Bengals 0 | End Q1

End 1Q: Patriots 0, Bengals 0 — 1:30 p.m.

At the end of the first quarter, the Patriots are knocking on the door. After 14 plays and 77 yards, they’ll start the second quarter at Cincinnati’s 3-yard line.

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Patriots’ first drive starts strong but stalls — 1:15 p.m.

The Patriots’ first drive comes to a halt after five plays, bringing out Bryce Baringer for his first punt of the game. Jacoby Brissett completed one of his two pass attempts on that drive, and the Patriots went to Rhamondre Stevenson three times for 16 yards.

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The new kickoff looks strange. Here’s how it works. — 1:05 p.m.

By Ben Volin

Whether you’ve been watching the NFL for five, 25, or 50 years, you’ve never seen rule changes as drastic as those affecting the league’s kickoffs this year.

“The play will feel different and radical,” Rich McKay, the head of the NFL’s competition committee, said in the spring. “I would just say this is our chance to keep special teams in the game.”

The NFL took the traditional kickoff play, tore it up, and came up with the new “dynamic kickoff,” which is on a one-year trial basis.

The dynamic kickoff debuted during the preseason, and it certainly looked odd and confusing. Here’s an explainer on how it all works, and why the NFL made the change.

READ MORE

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We’re underway, and there’s a penalty already — 1:00 p.m.

The 2024 Patriots season is underway. The Patriots were called for illegal formation on Joey Slye’s kickoff, so the Bengals will get the ball at the 35-yard line to start.

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Patriots have a catch in WR Polk — 12:45 p.m.

By Nicole Yang

Headed into this year’s NFL Draft, the Patriots knew they needed to select at least one receiver.

Executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf had said he wanted to “weaponize” the offense, so the goal was to find a talented, tough, and reliable wideout to pair with Drake Maye, whom the team selected with the No. 3 overall pick.

Enter Ja’Lynn Polk, a 6-foot-1-inch, 203-pound receiver out of Washington.

Wolf and others in the scouting department had been eyeing the 22-year-old Polk for quite some time. It didn’t take long for them to realize his impressive work ethic and competitive nature. They liked his versatility, willingness to do the so-called dirty work, ability to fight for the ball in the air, as well as yards after the catch.

As Wolf put it, Polk is a “do everything”-type of guy.

READ MORE

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Globe staff predictions ahead of kickoff — 12:30 p.m.

With 30 minutes to go before kickoff, we asked our Patriots writers and columnists for their predictions ahead of the season opener. Here’s how they’re picking this one:

Nicole Yang: Bengals 24, Patriots 17. This game could have been an opportunity for the Patriots to steal a victory, but their offense can’t overcome poor line play to score enough points.

Ben Volin: Bengals 19, Patriots, 13. There are a lot of factors pointing in the Patriots’ favor — no Tee Higgins, a questionable Ja’Marr Chase, and coach Zac Taylor’s 1-9 record in Weeks 1-2 as a head coach. But I can’t quite pick the Patriots to pull off the upset, not when the Bengals’ defense is at full strength and the Patriots’ offensive line is a work in progress.

Tara Sullivan: Bengals 24, Patriots 9.

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What constitutes success for the Patriots? — 12:15 p.m.

By Ben Volin

This season could be a long one in Foxborough as coach Jerod Mayo and executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf take over for Bill Belichick.

The Patriots are coming off a 4-13 season that was the franchise’s worst in 31 years. Their quarterbacks are a journeyman (Jacoby Brissett) and a rookie (Drake Maye). They don’t have any players ranked in top-100 lists. And they have a 38-year-old, first-time head coach who is learning on the job.

Expectations haven’t been this low in Foxborough in three decades. NFL.com projects the Patriots to have the lowest win total in the league (4.5).

But just because the Patriots will probably finish with a losing record again, and last in the AFC East for the second year in a row, it wouldn’t automatically make the season a failure.

There are still several paths for a successful season, even if it doesn’t show up in the standings.

READ MORE

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The Globe staff’s players to watch Sunday — 12:00 p.m.

With just an hour to go before the start of the Jerod Mayo era, we asked our Patriots writers and columnists for their players to watch on each team ahead of Sunday’s opener. Here’s who they’ve got their eyes on:

Tara Sullivan: (Insert left tackle here). Likely to be Vederian Lowe, but possibly a rotation of players as the coaching staff looks for the most reliable offensive line combination, it’s the spot that matters. Porous, at best, during the preseason, the left tackle, whoever he is, has to protect Jacoby Brissett. That means contending with pass rusher extraordinaire Trey Hendrickson.

For the Bengals, call me Captain Obvious, but it’s Joe Burrow. Sidelined again last season by injury, this time to his wrist in Week 10, Burrow is one of the league’s most exciting players — when healthy.

Nicole Yang: For the Patriots, Rhamondre Stevenson. The Patriots know the importance of their run game, and I expect them to lean on it heavily.

For the Bengals, Andrei Iosivas. With Ja’Marr Chase expected to play on a limited snap count and Tee Higgins out, Iosivas could be in line for a sizable target share.

Ben Volin: For the Patriots, QB Jacoby Brissett. He was the favorite to start Week 1 all along, but a few preseason struggles and a late push by Drake Maye gave the Patriots something to think about. Today’s game is Brissett’s first chance to play a full game with the entire starting lineup. If he can play a clean game and avoid turnovers, the Patriots have a chance.

For the Bengals, TE Mike Gesicki. With Tee Higgins out and Ja’Marr Chase’s availability uncertain after he skipped most of training camp, Joe Burrow will need to find other receivers on Sunday. Gesicki might get plenty of looks along with fellow tight end Drew Sample.

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Patriots inactives analysis: Javon Baker sits opener, Bengals missing Tee Higgins — 11:45 a.m.

By Christopher Price

The Patriots have just announced their inactives for today’s game. Here’s the list and how those moves will impact the contest.

• Leading the healthy scratches is wide receiver Javon Baker. It’s unlikely that this is any sort of punishment for what happened in the wake of an Instagram post following a traffic ticket, an incident that Jerod Mayo said would lead to a penalty. Instead, this is more about a numbers game for the Patriots on offense, particularly at wide receiver and tight end. Kayshon Boutte could end up getting some catches as a result.

• In addition to guard Sidy Sow (who was downgraded to out on Friday), the Patriots will be without backup offensive tackles Zach Thomas and Demontrey Jacobs, both of whom are healthy scratches. The Patriots are likely going to depend heavily on Vederian Lowe, Chukwuma Okorafor, and Caeden Wallace at tackle as New England will try and keep as many linemen as fresh as possible.

• Linebacker Curtis Jacobs and defensive tackle Eric Johnson II are also healthy scratches for the Patriots. Joe Milton is the third quarterback this afternoon for New England.

• One of the more notable actives today for the Patriots is offensive tackle Lowe, who has been limited the last couple of weeks because of an abdominal issue but will play. He was the starting left tackle for much of the summer, but could be part of a rotation at the position today. In addition, veterans Antonio Gibson and Jabrill Peppers popped up on the injury report late in the week with hip ailments, but both are cleared to play this afternoon.

• On the other side, wide receiver Tee Higgins is the only scratch of note for the Bengals. Ja’Marr Chase reportedly did not get a deal done prior to kickoff, which could put his availability in question. Chase was on the injury list earlier in the week, but it’s hard to look past the fact that he remains embroiled in a contract impasse with the club — he practiced sporadically over the course of the summer — as one of the reasons he could be limited this afternoon.

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Bengals’ Chase active, to play Sunday — 11:30 a.m.

By Amin Touri

Despite the Bengals and star wideout Ja’Marr Chase failing to come to an agreement on a contract extension ahead of Sunday’s kickoff, Chase is expected to play as he was activated before the game against the Patriots.

Chase, a Pro Bowler in all three of his seasons in the NFL, had fairly limited participation throughout training camp as he sought a new deal.

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Dolphins star Hill arrested before opener, expected to play — 11:15 a.m.

By Amin Touri

In a bizarre turn Sunday morning, Dolphins star WR Tyreek Hill was detained outside Hard Rock Stadium in Miami ahead of the Dolphins’ season opener.

Hill’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said Hill will play against the Jaguars Sunday.

Hill was reportedly cited for reckless driving. Videos on social media showed Hill lying on the ground and being placed in handcuffs.

Rosenhaus appeared on ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown, saying the arrest was “completely unnecessary. I’m very distraught about it. We’re going to have to look into it.”

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Bengals star Chase won’t sign, may not play Sunday — 11:10 a.m.

By Amin Touri

The contract dispute between the Bengals and star WR Ja’Marr Chase seems like it won’t be resolved before kickoff in Cincinnati, putting Chase’s involvement in doubt according to reports.

Chase has been seeking a significant contract extension as other top receivers — like the Vikings’ Justin Jefferson and Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb — have earned market-setting deals this offseason.

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Five storylines to watch across the league this season — 11:00 a.m.

By Emma Healy

Are you ready for some football? Here are five non-Patriots storylines to watch around the league this season.

Aaron Rodgers is back: Stop me if you’ve heard this before: One of the most anticipated moments of Week 1 will be Rodgers’s first snap with the Jets. The quarterback played just four snaps last year before an Achilles’ tendon injury sidelined him for the season. The Jets hope to get more this year out of their $112.5 million quarterback.

The new face of the Bears: This year’s No. 1 draft pick hopes to usher in a new era in Chicago. Quarterback Caleb Williams will be tasked with leading the Bears out of the NFL’s cellar, where they’ve resided for much of the last three seasons. The Bears went 7-10 last season — up from 3-14 in 2022 — but as they saw under Justin Fields, it will take more than a talented quarterback to finish with a winning record.

The Jim Harbaugh era begins in Los Angeles: After winning an NCAA title with Michigan in 2023, Harbaugh returns to the NFL on a five-year, $80 million contract with the Chargers. He led the Wolverines to unprecedented success, going 86-25 in nine seasons at the helm. While other college coaches have struggled to make the jump, Harbaugh has won at the NFL level before, guiding the 49ers to a 44-19-1 record from 2011-14. He’ll face off against his brother, John, when the Ravens come to town for “Monday Night Football” in Week 12.

Kirk Cousins in Atlanta: The Falcons placed $100 million worth of eggs in the basket of Cousins, a 36-year-old quarterback coming off a season-ending Achilles’ tendon injury. They’re hoping the combination of Cousins and new coach Raheem Morris will improve their 7-10 record from each of the last three seasons. If Cousins, whose contract is fully guaranteed, isn’t a fit, the Falcons may turn to rookie Michael Penix Jr., a surprise pick at eighth overall in this year’s draft.

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The first stage of the Patriots’ long climb back into contention begins Sunday against the Bengals — 10:45 a.m.

By Chad Finn

It’s fitting, as the Patriots begin this season of subterranean expectations with more questions than probably any edition since Bill Belichick’s first in 2000, to kick this off with . . . one more question.

What will constitute success for the 2024 Patriots?

For nearly two decades, from that first euphoric Super Bowl victory to cap the storybook 2001 season, through Tom Brady’s final Patriots pass in the wild-card loss to the Titans in January 2020, expectations were set, at a minimum, of reaching the AFC Championship game.

The Patriots made the NFL’s final four 13 times during the Brady/Belichick era, including eight straight from 2011-18. Winning the AFC East felt like a formality, because it essentially was — they won the division in 17 of 19 years, including in all of Brady’s final 11 seasons here.

Disappointment in an era in which separate trios of Lombardi Trophies were collected at the beginning and end of the NFL’s greatest extended dynasty came in the nine-season “drought” from 2005-13 when the team remained exceptional but could not secure another Super Bowl win.

I bring all of this up not to suggest that we should spend this season living in the past, but to acknowledge how easy it was to take for granted when we were living in those days. Time brings perspective, and time remains undefeated.

The definition of what constitutes success for the Patriots is entirely different now. They are in the earliest stages of the long and jagged climb back to contender status.

READ MORE

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Watch: Does Dan Shaughnessy have confidence in Jerod Mayo? — 10:30 a.m.

The Globe columnist joined Boston Globe Today to discuss how the Patriots will fare in their first season without Bill Belichick since 2000. Watch his segment below.

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How to watch the Patriots game today — 10:15 a.m.

The Patriots will face the Bengals at 1 p.m. If you are lucky enough to not be in Cincinnati (sorry, Ohioans) then you’ll be watching the game on CBS or listening locally on 98.5 The Sports Hub.

If you’ve cut the cord, you can find CBS on these streaming services: YouTubeTV, Fubo, Paramount+, DirecTV Stream, and Hulu + Live TV. You can even sign up for a free trial for a few of them to get access to today’s game.

If you can’t tune in, stay with our live updates for information on the Patriots’ drives, scoring plays, injuries, and more.

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Emma can be reached at [email protected] or on X @_EmmaHealy_. Amin Touri can be reached at [email protected]. Christopher Price can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @cpriceglobe. Nicole Yang can be reached at [email protected] her @nicolecyang. Ben Volin can be reached at [email protected].