The New England Patriots couldn't have asked for a much better start to the Jerod Mayo era.
The first-year head coach led New England to an unexpected 16-10 road win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. His players celebrated accordingly, showering him with Gatorade on the sideline to commemorate his first career head-coaching victory.
That celebration carried into the locker room where Robert Kraft made an appearance. The Patriots owner delivered a short speech before presenting Mayo with the game ball.
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"Every one of you contributed. I am so proud of the new players, the new coaches," Kraft said. "People had all the excuses it couldn't happen, but you all did it. And I'm spoiled now, I'm gonna count on a lot more though."
The locker room erupted with cheers as Kraft honored Mayo. You can watch the scene below or via the Patriots on X.
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Mayo gave a game ball to executive director of player personnel Eliot Wolf to acknowledge his first win in the role, according to ESPN's Mike Reiss.
The Patriots impressed in all three phases of the game in Cincinnati. Offensively, quarterback Jacoby Brissett protected the football while running back Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown. On the defensive end, second-year edge rusher Keion White notched 2.5 sacks on Joe Burrow as Cincinnati was limited to only 224 total yards. The special teams unit played a key role with long-snapper Joe Cardona forcing a fumble on a punt return and kicker Joey Slye drilling three field goals.
New England will look to duplicate its effort next Sunday when it hosts the Seattle Seahawks. Kickoff for the Week 2 showdown is set for 1 p.m. ET.