Bengals vs. Patriots NFL Week 1: 3 key storylines fans must monitor

There will be no shortage of things for fans to monitor when the Cincinnati Bengals host the New England Patriots this weekend. It is the first game of the season, after all. But, some storylines are more pressing -- or intriguing -- than others. Here's a look at three key storylines that Bengals fans will definitely want to monitor during the regular season opener.

The play of Joe Burrow

The season opener against the Patriots will represent Joe Burrow's first regular season action since he suffered a season-ending wrist injury that required surgery during a game against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 11 of last season, and everyone will be extremely eager to see how he looks.

Sure, Burrow played in the preseason and looked good during his time on the field, but he also played just one single drive, so not too much could really be gleaned from the performance. Plus, the regular season is what really matters. The hope is that Burrow looks like his old self in short order, as the Bengals are obviously extremely dangerous when he's out there. A little bit of rust is possible, but after a full training camp and a taste of preseason play, Burrow should be good to go. His goal is to remain healthy throughout the season, and that starts with getting through the first week.

Cincinnati's new-look backfield

This is the first season since 2017 that Joe Mixon isn't entering the regular season as the top running back on Cincinnati's depth chart. The Bengals traded Mixon to the Houston Texans over the offseason and plan to fill the huge hole he left with newcomer Zack Moss and second-year back Chase Brown. The verdict is still out on how that switch will work out, but we'll get our first look at the new-look backfield against New England.

Moss will enter the season as the starter, but the team plans to employ a timeshare approach, so Brown should see plenty of on-field opportunity, too. Who knows, he could eventually even overtake Moss for the starting spot if he plays well enough.

Cincinnati is going to be a pass-first team as long as Burrow is behind center, but a competent ground game is still necessary for the offense to reach its full potential. We won't know how good Cincinnati's new-look backfield is after a single game, but we'll at least get an idea.

And Cincinnati's new-look secondary

The backfield isn't the only area that will look different for Cincinnati this season, as the secondary also underwent a major makeover over the offseason. Safety play was a major issue for the Bengals last season, so the team went out and added Geno Stone and Vonn Bell in free agency. Those two will enter the seasons as starters.

In a corresponding move, the Bengals shifted Dax Hill from safety to cornerback, where he will begin the season as a starter. On paper the unit should be much better as a result of these changes, but they'll have to perform.

New England isn't expected to have an especially potent passing attack in 2024, so the season opener might not be the toughest test for Cincinnati's secondary. But, that could be a good thing. Let the unit get its collective feet wet at first before being tossed into the fire against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2.