The purge was complete once Bill Belichick left New England after last season. The departure of the game’s most decorated head coach came four years after the exit of the game’s most successful quarterback, Tom Brady, who left after the 2019 season.
The new era in New England officially began in earnest last Sunday with a stunning season-opening victory with rookie head coach Jerod Mayo in charge and a new/old quarterback, Jacoby Brissett, behind center.
For the first time in 24 years, the Patriots played a game without Belichick at the helm. And, though it was only one game from what’s expected to be one of the weakest teams in the league in the midst of a full rebuild, the result looked familiar.
Belichick won 302 regular-season games.
Mayo last Sunday won his first.
It was emotional, it was surprising, and it made you wonder just how much Mayo gleaned from Belichick.
The Patriots won behind the running of Rhamondre Stevenson’s 120 rushing yards and the team’s only touchdown. Brissett, whose played under Belichick as a Patriots rookie in 2016, took care of the football. And the defense shut down Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, forcing and recovering two fumbles against a team that lost only two of them all last season.
Now, the Patriots are trying to go 2-0 with a win in Sunday’s game against the Seahawks.
The Patriots, who were 8.5-point underdogs against the Bengals and weren’t the preseason betting favorite to win any of their games in 2024, finished 4-13 and in last place in the AFC East last season. Their 13.8 points per game scoring was tied for the lowest in the league.
But the defense gave the Patriots chances to win games last season, allowing 21 or fewer points in eight of 17 games. And it looks like that will be the case again this season under the 38-year-old Mayo — who’s spent his entire pro career with the franchise as a player, an assistant coach and now the boss.
Brissett is a veteran placeholder for first-round pick Drake Maye, as the rookie sits and watches for the moment. This should be a significant upgrade from Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe last season.
“No one believes in us, but [Mayo] kept preaching the people in the room are the ones that matter,” Brissett told reporters after the upset win against the Bengals.
After the win, Mayo was showered with a Gatorade bath from defensive linemen Davon Godchaux and Daniel Ekuale. And later, Mayo’s players showered him with praise.
“He’s our leader. He gives us the fire to go out there and play hard for him and run through brick walls for him,” Stevenson said.
“The way he’s communicated to us and leaned on us as individuals, getting feedback from us, it’s been huge,’’ safety Kyle Dugger said.
“Winning is always good, but doing it for Mayo was something special,’’ defensive end Keion White said. “As a guy who has been there, who has won the championships at every level, you just respect that. He’s relatable. He communicates well with all of us and makes you want to run through a brick wall for him.”
Mayo, of course, deflected the praise and redirected it to the players.
“Winning as a coach is huge, but not for what it does for me … [but] for what it does for the players out there,” he said. “I just can’t say enough about the players. Without them, I’m nothing.’’
Then, it didn’t take long before Mayo morphed into Belichick mode.
“I’m going to enjoy this one for the next couple of hours, but truth be told, this is a ‘What have you done for me lately’ type of business,” he said. “Time to turn the page and get ready for the next game.”
He didn’t say the words, but what Mayo really was saying was this: “We’re on to Seattle.’’
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