3 Things Patriots Fans Should Watch For in the Season Opener

Football is back.  In case you needed the reminder, Miss Swift was back in the house at Arrowhead Stadium Thursday night to make sure you knew.

After two long decades of being spoiled by an embarrassment of championship riches, it's a tough time to be a Patriots fan.  It's been a long time since the Patriots were this bad for this long.

However, this Patriots team "feels" a little different than the past 4 Brady-less seasons.  For the first time in a long time I feel like there is hope.  To clarify, I don't mean there's hope for this season, because there certainly is not.  However, do you see that light way off on the horizon?  That little glimmer?

His name is Drake Maye, and while he is highly unlikely to step foot on the Cincinatti field on Sunday, he is the most exciting part of the team right now.

Nick Coit agrees.  "By the end of the year I think you want the arrows to be pointed up.  We want to be able to say we like this, we like that.  This is going well. We can see where the franchise is going.  That's the ultimate goal for this season and the franchise by the end of this year."

What should we be watching on Sunday during the Patriots game?  Coit gave us a punch list of three items

1.  Can the O line put together a decent performance giving Jacoby Brisett enought time to set and throw the ball?

2.  How do the young receivers look that the Patriots have brought in?  Are we seeing a leap forward?

3.  Is the defense continuing to play at the level they were playing for Belichick (even toward the end of Bill's reign?

Coit pointed out that the Bengals haven't exactly torn up their last four season openers, going 1 and 3.  Joe Burrow through 4 picks in a season opener two years ago.  There's a chance the Patriots could catch Cincy off guard.

That being said, Coit picked the Bengals to win the game, however predicted that New England would keep it respectable.  Final score 20-10.