The New England Patriots will be kicking off their 2024 NFL season shortly when they take against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1.
The Patriots spent the offseason overhauling the franchise and now fans will get a chance to see the new-look roster and how the team will look to play under head coach Jerod Mayo.
The 2024 year is largely about building a foundation and identity after years of struggling to win games, so while the losses may mount in the meantime the larger picture is what people should be focused on.
The team’s first game of the year could be a difficult one as they’ll take on a hungry Bengals team looking to prove they belong on the short list of Super Bowl contenders.
Defensively, New England will have to contend with Joe Burrow who is one of the best pure passers in the league and fully healthy after missing half of 2023 with a wrist injury.
Fortunately for the Patriots, their defense will get a big boost as veteran safety Jabrill Peppers is active for the contest via the team’s official X account.
“Jabrill Peppers is officially active for #NEvsCIN,” the Patriots announced.
Jabrill Peppers is officially active for #NEvsCIN.@ezlazar's analysis: https://t.co/PbR7S9LxiN pic.twitter.com/hSUTrgB1H5
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) September 8, 2024
Peppers popped up on the injury report this weekend with a hip issue and was ruled a true game-time decision, but he apparently felt good enough in warm-ups to give it a go.
While Peppers might not get a full workload given that he is still dealing with the injury, it’ll be good to have him on the field in any capacity to help out the defense.
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