The purge was complete when Bill Belichick left New England after last season. The departure of the game’s most decorated head coach came four years after the departure of the game’s most decorated quarterback, Tom Brady, who left after the 2019 season.
The new era in New England officially began last Sunday with a stunning season-opening victory with rookie head coach Jerod Mayo at the helm 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, even though it was only a game against one of the weakest teams in the rebuilding league, the result felt familiar.
Belichick won 302 regular season games.
Mayo won their first title last Sunday.
It was emotional, surprising and made us wonder how much Mayo had learned from Belichick.
The Patriots won on the strength of Rhamondre Stevenson’s 120-yard rushing and the team’s only touchdown. Brissett, who played under Belichick as a Patriots rookie in 2016, took care of the ball. And the defense stopped Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, forcing and recovering two fumbles against a team that lost just two last season.
Now the Patriots are looking to make it 2-0 with a win in Sunday’s game against the Seahawks.
The Patriots, who were 8.5-point underdogs to the Bengals and were not the preseason betting favorite to win any of their games in 2024, finished 4-13 last season and in last place in the AFC East. Their scoring average of 13.8 points per game was tied for the lowest in the league.
But the defense gave the Patriots chances to win last season, allowing 21 points or fewer in eight of 17 games. And it appears that will be the case again this season under Mayo, 38, who has spent his entire professional career with the franchise as a player, assistant coach and now manager.
Brissett is a veteran backup to first-round pick Drake Maye, while the rookie sits and watches for now. This should be a significant upgrade over Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe last season.
“Nobody believes in us, but [Mayo] “I’ve continued to preach that the people in the room are the ones that matter,” Brissett told reporters after the upset win over the Bengals.
After the win, Mayo was doused in Gatorade by defenders Davon Godchaux and Daniel Ekuale. And later, Mayo players showered him with praise.
“He’s our leader. He gives us the motivation to play hard for him and run through walls for him,” Stevenson said.
“The way he’s communicated with us and leaned on us as individuals, getting our feedback, that’s been huge,” defenseman Kyle Dugger said.
“Winning is always a good thing, but to do it for Mayo was something special,” defensive end Keion White said. “As a player who’s been there, won championships at every level, you just respect that. He’s endearing. 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 toward the players.
“Winning as a coach is huge, but not for what it does for me… [but] “I’m very grateful for the players, for what they bring to the players,” he said. “I can’t say enough about the players. Without them, I’m nothing.”
Then it didn’t take long before Mayo went into Belichick mode.
“I’m going to enjoy this game for the next two hours, but really, it’s a question of, ‘What have you done for me lately?'” he said. “It’s time to turn the page and get ready for the next game.”
He didn’t say those words, but what Mayo really meant was this: “We’re going to Seattle.”
