The New England Patriots took care of business on Sunday, defeating the Cincinnati Bengals 16-10 at Paycor Stadium despite being 7.5-point underdogs.
According to ESPN, it was the biggest Week 1 upset since 2018 when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the New Orleans Saints, who were 10-point favorites.
A lot of praise needs to go to new head coach Jerod Mayo and his staff, as they had their guys prepared to fight and play exactly the way they needed to earn a season-opening victory.
After Mayo received a post-win Gatorade shower from his players on the field, Patriots owner Robert Kraft addressed the team, commended his first-year coach and handed out a game ball.
Everyone contributes, everyone wins. pic.twitter.com/acOqLjmDv5
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) September 8, 2024
Kraft spoke earlier this week about trusting his gut when picking Mayo to be the team's next head coach succeeding Bill Belichick after 24 seasons. After one week, it looks like he made the right choice.
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