The first game of the storied New England Patriots franchise's post-Bill Belichick era officially began Sunday, with former player and now head coach Jerod Mayo making his debut as the team's leader on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals.
After the Patriots parted ways with Belichick after 24 seasons and traded Matthew Judon and Mac Jones, the consensus was that New England was in full rebuild mode and likely headed to be one of the worst teams in the league this year.
But things turned out differently on Sunday when the Patriots entered Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati as heavy underdogs and pulled off arguably the biggest upset of Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season.
With superstar quarterback Joe Burrow back under center, the Bengals were considered real contenders for a Super Bowl title, but that proved far from the case as New England dominated the game from start to finish.
It was an emotional game before, during and after for veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who admitted to shedding a few tears before the Bengals game because of what Mayo told him.
“Mayo came up to me… before the game, and he started laughing, and he was like, 'Man, you're going to win this game for us. You're going to play hard.' I'd never heard a coach say that, you know? And that meant a lot to me,” Brissett said.
#Patriots Quarterback Jacoby Brissett said he cried three times before the game, including after Jerod Mayo's pregame pep talk.
“Mayo came up to me… before the game, started laughing and said, 'Dude, you're going to win this game for us. You're going to give it your all.' pic.twitter.com/ekpERY58d0
— Carlos Talks Pats (@LosTalksPats) September 8, 2024
An experienced player, Brissett hasn't been able to find a long-term job in the NFL, but he's had a strong start to his second season with the Patriots, who may be a better team than expected.
Even if this turns out to be a fluke and a bad day for the Bengals, the Patriots will take this momentum and move forward as the team everyone expected to be the underdog in every game this season.
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Patriots quarterback makes remarkable play to save touchdown on Sunday