Why Patriots Fans Shouldn’t Get Carried Away After Week 1 Win

First-year head coach Jerod Mayo was as excited as anyone after the New England Patriots beat the Cincinnati Bengals — and deservingly so.

Mayo had his team ready to play at Paycor Stadium following an up-and-down training camp and preseason. It helped New England not only cover the 7.5-point spread, but stun the betting world and NFL analysts alike.

Patriots fans watched competitive and complementary football after New England’s 2023 campaign lacked both. Their feelings of triumph were well-warranted. But that doesn’t mean the Foxboro Faithful should get carried away.

“I don’t even want to get this win overblown,” Mayo said on a video conference Monday morning. “It’s one game. From a coaching perspective, our job is to teach these guys how to win. When you win a lot, having that sense of urgency to not fall into being comfortable (is huge). We won one game.”

It was a theme from Mayo.

When asked about special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer and the special teams, Mayo said: “Once again, I would say it’s one game. That’s my job, to not only make sure that the players understand that it’s one game, but also the coaches that it’s one game.”

Mayo laughed when asked whether players got a ‘Victory Monday.’

“Victory Monday?! It’s one game!” Mayo exclaimed.

That’s the right mindset to have, no doubt. Patriots fans should feel the same way.

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The Patriots cemented their formula for success against the Bengals. They gave running back Rhamondre Stevenson the ball on more than half of his snaps and let him run in heavier packages (Caedan Wallace as a jumbo tight end) and downhill schemes. They racked up 170 yards on the ground.

But they also scored 16 points, went 1-for-4 in the red zone and recorded a mere 4.8 yards per pass. New England’s ground game was good, but the pass protection and passing game left a lot to be desired. There’s reason to believe it won’t pay the same dividends each and every week. Maybe the Patriots just benefited from facing a Bengals defense that was one of the worst in the league last year? We saw the shortcomings of the Patriots roster this summer, and those aren’t any different after one game.

On the other side of the ball, New England’s defense impressed with their toughness and physicality. Keion White was a menace on the defensive line while cornerback Christian Gonzalez held Ja’Marr Chase to three catches when he shadowed the star wideout. The Patriots did a lot to confuse quarterback Joe Burrow, too. It was an impressive debut.

But DeMarcus Covington’s group will go up against stronger competition than what Cincy put on tape in Week 1. The Bengals were without one of their top wideouts in Tee Higgins, a game-changer opposite of Chase. And Chase, who hadn’t practiced during the preseason due to his contract situation, surely will be in better condition and look better in a few weeks. The Patriots got the Bengals offense at a good time, though that’s to no fault of their own.

Patriots fans had every right to be enthusiastic about the season-opening performance. It was encouraging, no doubt.

But as Mayo hinted himself, it’s a long season.