The Patriots picked up a surprising victory Sunday.
New England opened their season by defeating the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium, which is something that roughly eight people who don't work at One Patriot Place saw coming. The Patriots are supposed to be bad, and though they still very well might be, they started off on the right foot in Jerod Mayo's first game as head coach.
Mayo even has a memento to prove it.
"It was special," Mayo said, per team-provided video. "Mr. Kraft gave me a ball. I'm absolutely keeping that one, and I also gave (Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf) a ball. It's a special, special moment."
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Mayo didn't need to wait to get back into the locker room to start receiving gifts, as his players bestowed one upon him in the form of an ice-cold Gatorade bath as the clock ticked down.
The Patriots don't have to worry about their head coach getting complacent, though.
"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," Mayo said. "It's time to turn the page and get ready for the next game... I've talked about this being my calling a lot," "I think winning as a coach is huge, and once again, not for what it does for me but for what it does for those players. I can't say enough about the players.
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New England certainly enjoyed the victory, not only because it means they started the season right, but because it provides them with an opportunity to continue moving in the right direction. Mayo and company got the monkey, if you could even call it that, off their backs early.
It's now time to keep the ball rolling.
Featured image via Joseph Maiorana/Imagn Images
