Patriots Establish Identity In Jerod Mayo's First Win
The New England Patriots were the upset of the week on Sunday, escaping Cincinnati with a 16-10 win. Given slim chances to win in Cincinnati against Joe Burrow and the Bengals, the Patriots put together a mistake-free afternoon and outplayed their opponent in all facets of the game.
An emotional Jacoby Brissett, a monster afternoon from Rhamondre Stevenson, and a stifling defensive effort all led to the moment of the afternoon for Pats nation. Jerod Mayo getting a Gatorade bath on the sideline as the Patriots aligned in victory formation for the final snaps.
Sunday was the first Patriots win since the 1999 season without Bill Belichick on the sideline as head coach. Jerod Mayo silenced the doubters, at least for one week. The road ahead doesn’t get easier for New England, with a home opener against the Seahawks followed by a trip to the Meadowlands to face the Jets in week 3.
The important thing is that the team seems bought in behind Mayo and ready to go to war for him this season. Here are three aspects of Sunday’s game that got the Patriots season started in the right direction.
Rhamondre Stevenson Masterclass
Rhamondre Stevenson looked like the best player on the field for much of the afternoon Sunday. He racked up 120 total yards of offense for the Patriots on 25 carries. He also found the endzone on the first play of the second quarter to give New England an early 7-0 lead.
Stevenson has shown the ability to feast when given ample opportunity. The challenge for Jerod Mayo and the Pats is not falling too far behind in games where they have to abandon the run game completely. If New England can just remain competitive in games, it allows them to run much of their offense through Stevenson.
“One thing I’ll say about Rhamondre, and I’ve told him this, I think he’s one of the best (running) backs in the league," Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo told WEEI's The Greg Hill Show on Monday. "I just don’t think he gets the appreciation. I don’t think he gets the hype as some of these other backs."
Stevenson is a do-it-all back capable of getting tough yardage after contact and being a reliable receiving option as well. 118 of his 120 rushing yards came after contact on Sunday, a testament to Stevenson’s toughness as a runner. The offensive line also had a better opener than many expected for New England. If they continue to hold up this season, Stevenson’s usage will continue to increase.
Leaning on Stevenson could be key for the Patriots this season. It would only help the eventual transition from quarterback Jacoby Brissett to rookie Drake Maye as well if a reliable run game is in place with Stevenson.
Jacoby Brissett Gets The Job Done
Jacoby Brissett wasn’t asked to do the spectacular on Sunday. It’s not in New England’s game plan for him to have to go out there and toss three touchdowns in a win. The Patriots' identity for years has been ball control, elite defense, and ground-pound running attack. That doesn’t seem to have changed as Jerod Mayo has taken over for legendary coach Bill Belichick.
Brissett played mistake-free football all afternoon. He completed 15-24 passes for 121 yards and also ran 7 times for 32 yards. He gave his team an opportunity to win the game and it all started with the belief that his coach put into him.
“I cried when I got to the stadium,” Brissett said. “I cried when Mayo came up to me before the game, and he started laughing and said like, 'Man, you’re about to win us a game, you’re about to ball out.' I had never heard that from a coach and that meant a lot to me."
There is no saying how long Brissett will retain the starting QB job in New England. It could be four weeks or four months. For the time being, however, Brissett just delivered a massive win to start the season for a team favorited to finish last in the AFC East.
Gone now is the pressure of Jerod Mayo getting his first career win. If the Pats hadn’t pulled off the upset in Cincy in Week 1, they could’ve possibly been staring down the barrel of an 0-3 start to the season. The Patriots are at home on Sunday hosting the Seahawks and then have a tough matchup on the road against the Jets in Week 3.
Gonzalez, White, Lead Patriots Defense
The Patriots defense looked like a disciplined and well-coached unit from the opening kickoff on Sunday. Joe Burrow and the Bengals offense seemed a bit out of rhythm all afternoon. He had just a 55.2 QB rating on the day as he passed for only 164 yards and no touchdowns, and was sacked three times.
"They were doing a good job keeping everything in front,” Burrow said, via Bengals Wire. “I’ve got to take what the defense gives me."
The Patriots were able to limit big plays from Burrow and were fine with him throwing in front of the defense. New England’s physical defense wants to force opponents to try to beat them with long, drawn-out drives. They held Cincinnati to only four first downs on 11 third down attempts.
Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones made a huge stop on 4th and 2 midway through the third quarter. With the Pats clinging to a 13-0 lead, the Bengals needed to score and drew up a screen play to the right side. Jonathan Jones read the play and flew in to make the hit a yard short of the first down, stalling another Cincinnati drive.
Much to the delight of Patriots fans, 2023 first-round cornerback Christian Gonzalez was back on the field Sunday. Gonzalez missed the final 13 games of his rookie season due to a torn labrum and dislocated shoulder.
Gonzalez has had success against some top receivers in the NFL so far, including All-Pro Tyreek Hill last season. He got to add Pro Bowl receiver Ja'Marr Chase to that list as well on Sunday.
He limited Chase to just three receptions for 14 yards when he had the assignment. Gonzalez looks to continue to make a name for himself as one of the best young corners in the game this season.
Defensive end Keion White had a career day as well on Sunday, racking up 2.5 sacks. With the departure of veteran Matthew Judon to the Atlanta Falcons, White could be in line for a monster season filling the shoes that Judon left behind.
White is only in his sophomore season season like Gonzalez, as he was drafted in the second round in 2023 out of Georgia Tech. He has been taking on more of a leadership role this year and should make a jump both on the field and in the locker room.
Looking Ahead
The Patriots have all the ingredients necessary this year to make it a much more competitive season than the previous one. A competent quarterback, a workhorse running back, and a tenacious defense is a good starting point for any NFL roster.
While winning a playoff game this year is admittedly setting sights too high, this will be a crucial growth year for a young and rebuilding Patriots team. Players stepping into bigger roles this season will only benefit down the line in future seasons. Next up the Seattle Seahawks visit for the Patriots home opener at 1 pm EST, Sunday.
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