Game 1: Bengals at Patriots

By Chad Finn

September 12, 2010

3 minutes to read

At last, precisely eight months and two days after the Patriots’ 2009 season ended with a 33-14 home loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the playoffs, there will be meaningful football played again at Gillette Stadium.

We’re going to presume you’re ready, no?

The most relevant pregame moment thus far took place at approximately 10:15, when receiver Julian Edelman, listed as questionable on the injury report, was on the field working with trainers. The second-year receiver appears to be a game-time decision. We’ll have the inactives on this post when they become available.

The Patriots are wearing their white jerseys today rather than the blue they often wear at home.

[Update, 11:33: Edelman apparently didn’t show the trainers what they wanted to see, because he is inactive, as is WR Taylor Price and RB Laurence Maroney. With Edelman and Price out, the Patriots will go with four active receivers, including the inexperienced Matthew Slater.]

Kickoff: 1 p.m.

Records: Well, it’s the season opener. The Patriots and Bengals are both 0-0.

Television:Channel 4, CBS. Play-by-play: Jim Nantz. Analyst: Phil Simms.

Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub. Play-by-play: Gil Santos, going from left to right (or right to left) on your dial. He’s back for his 34th season as the voice of the Patriots, and he’s paired with Patriots legend Gino Cappelletti for their 27th year as a tandem.

Depth charts
Patriots offense: QB Tom Brady, RB Fred Taylor, RB Kevin Faulk, WR Randy Moss, WR Wes Welker, LT Matt Light, LG Dan Connolly*, C Dan Koppen, RG Stephen Neal, RT Sebastian Vollmer*, TE Alge Crumpler.

* Curiously, Logan Mankins, who is holding out, is listed as the starter at left guard, while Nick Kaczur, who is out with a back injury, is listed at right tackle.

Bengals offense: QB Carson Palmer, HB Cedric Benson, FB Brian Leonard, WR Chad Ochocinco, WR Terrell Owens, LT Andrew Whitworth, LG Nate Livings, C Kyle Cook, RG Bobbie Williams, RT Dennis Roland, TE Jermaine Gresham.

Patriots defense: LE Gerard Warren, NT Vince Wilfork, RE Mike Wright, OLB Tully Banta-Cain, ILB Jerod Mayo, ILB Gary Guyton, OLB Rob Ninkovich, LCB Darius Butler, RCB Devin McCourty, SS Brandon Meriweather, FS James Sanders.

Bengals defense: LDE Robert Geathers, NT Domato Peko, DT Tank Johnson, RDE Antwan Odom, SLB Rey Maualuga, MLB Dhani Jones, WLB Keith Rivers, LCB Johnathan Joseph, RCB Leon Hall, SS Roy Williams, FS Chris Crocker.

Inactives:
Patriots: Edelman, WR Taylor Price, CB Terrence Wheatley, RB Laurence Maroney, LB Dane Fletcher, T Steve Maneri, DT Brandon Deaderick, T Nick Kaczur.
Bengals: QB Dan LeFevour, RB Brian Leonard, CB Brandon Ghee, C Reggie Stephens, LB Roddrick Muckelroy, WR Andre Caldwell, DT Pat Sims, DE Carlos Dunlap.

Storylines and sidelines:
Home cooking, part one: The Patriots and Bengals have played 22 times in a series that dates back to 1968. The Patriots have won six of the last seven meetings, and are 7-2 in home games against Cincinnati. In the Bengals’ only previous visit to Gillette Stadium, the Patriots claimed a 35-28 victory on Dec. 12, 2004.

Home cooking, part two: Since Gillette Stadium opened in 2002, the Patriots are 59-13 during the regular season, the best home record in the NFL in that time.

Old friends: Tom Brady and Bengals linebacker Dhani Jones were four-year teammates and roommates for a time at the University of Michigan from 1996-99.

Exclusive company: Patriots receiver Randy Moss enters the season with 149 total touchdowns. He needs one more to become the fourth player in NFL history with 150 TDs, and he needs two receiving scores to join Jerry Rice (197) as the only players to top 150 touchdown catches.

No rush to judgment: Bengals defensive end Antwan Odom, who is appealing a suspension for testing positive for a banned substance, is expected to play. Odom had eight sacks in five games last season before suffering a ruptured Achilles’ tendon.

Fast starters: The Patriots have won their last six season openers. The last time they lost their first game of the season was 2003, when they fell to the Drew Bledsoe/Lawyer Milloy Buffalo Bills, 31-0.