CINCINNATI – The New England Patriots avoided mistakes and controlled the ball en route to a gritty 16-10 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, marking an impressive debut win for head coach Jerod Mayo on Sunday afternoon.
Rhamondre Stevenson was a dynamo, rushing for 120 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries, while defensive standout Keion White delivered a stellar performance with 2.5 sacks, anchoring a defense that effectively stymied Cincinnati’s explosive offense.
“It was special,” Mayo said post-game, visibly touched. “Really special. I just want to thank the Kraft family for the opportunity and for their trust in our vision. I’ve basically handed the keys to myself and general manager Eliot Wolf, and I’m just so grateful for this chance to represent them in our first victory.”
In a moment of pure joy, players drenched Mayo with a few liters of blue Gatorade as the final seconds ticked down, celebrating the end of a new era for the Patriots. This was their first game under a head coach not named Bill Belichick in over two decades.
Joey Slye was clutch, making three field goals, including two critical ones in the second half, to maintain a safe distance from the Bengals, who could never get closer than six points. New England’s defense was relentless, sacking Joe Burrow three times and capitalizing on two turnovers.
Burrow managed just 164 yards on 21 of 29 passing attempts and failed to score a touchdown. Ja’Marr Chase, forever reliable, pulled in all six of his targeted catches for 62 yards, but it just wasn’t enough.
Patriots’ quarterback Jacoby Brissett was visibly emotional before and after completing 15 of 24 passes for 121 yards. He praised Mayo’s motivational prowess, stating, “Mayo came up to me before the game and started laughing, ‘Wow, you’re going to win this game for us. You’re going to go all out,'” Brissett recounted. “I’ve never heard a coach say that, you know? And that meant a lot to me.”
“They did a good job. They had a good plan. I was just taking advantage of what they gave me,” Burrow said, reflecting on the game.
An electrifying moment came from rookie Ryan Rehkow, who returned a punt a spectacular 80 yards, setting the stage for a 3-yard touchdown plunge by Stevenson that put the Patriots up 7-0 at the start of the second quarter.
A crucial defensive play saw Patriots safety Kyle Dugger strip the ball from Tanner Hudson at the Patriots’ 2-yard line, which Marcus Jones returned to the New England 18-yard line. The drive culminated in Slye’s 32-yard field goal, extending the lead to 10-0.
Slye hit another field goal to widen the gap to 13-0 after recovering a fumble by Patriots’ return specialist Charlie Jones.
Cincinnati showed some life with a nine-play, 90-yard drive in the third quarter. Running back Zack Moss raced for a 5-yard touchdown up the middle. Despite a mishap with a Burrow fumble at the 10-yard line, the Bengals managed to close the gap but couldn’t completely overcome New England’s staunch defense.
Burrow’s record drops to a disappointing 1-4 in season openers.
“We have 16 games left. Starting 0-1 is certainly not the situation we wanted to be in,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor remarked. “But I feel good about how this team is going to regroup.”
For die-hard NFL fans, this game was a rollercoaster of emotions and showcased just how dynamic and unpredictable the sport can be. Here’s to many more thrilling Sundays ahead!
