The New England Patriots starting QB, Jacoby Brissett, didn’t have to be in spectacular form playing against the Bengals. The Patriots came away with a win at the Banks, thereby starting their season on the front foot. Although it finished 10-16 in favor of the Patriots, the nine-year-old veteran Brissett was the one who caught Mayo’s attention.

Opening up on his thoughts about Brissett’s debut on Sunday, Jerod Mayo stated, “He went out there and displayed a lot, and he actually made some plays with his legs, which was surprising because he’s probably the slowest Black quarterback in the league.” Even though the Patriots HC was brutally honest about his starting QB’s performance on the Greg Hill show, Brissett ended his debut recording just 15-of-24 passes with 121 passing yards.

However, the 31-year-old’s emotions were running high before he made his way to the Paycor Stadium. Sharing his thoughts after the game, the Patriots QB stated, “I think I cried three times before the game. I cried when I got to the stadium.” Playing his ninth season in the NFL, Brissett didn’t have the full support of Foxborough as the rookie QB Drake Maye got bigger shouts to start in his place. But Mayo knew the player he wanted to lead the Patriots after a full body of work in the summer camps.

Well, Brissett found himself emotional yet again while talking with Mayo before the clash on Sunday, “I cried when Mayo came up to me before the game. He started laughing. He’s like, You’re about to win us this game. I had never heard that from a coach. That meant a lot to me.” Looking back at the game, Brissett didn’t have the best start he would have hoped for. During the first half, the Patriots QB nearly got picked at the end zone, which could have gone way worse if not for TE Hunter Henry’s quick thinking.

But the veteran did show composure during his seven carries, while three of those came to run down the clock on Sunday. Meanwhile, this win wasn’t just special for Brissett, as Mayo got his first win after replacing the legendary Bill Belichick at Foxborough.

Jerod Mayo leading the Patriots to a winning start

After the 38-year-old got his first regular-season victory, Mayo expressed, “It was special. I’m just appreciative of the opportunity. My message to the players was without them. I’m nothing. I made sure they knew that. All the praise goes to those guys.” As many people called it before the game, the Patriots were underdogs but pulled off a massive upset that no one saw coming. This was the first time in 4 years that the Patriots have won their season opener after beating the Seahawks back in 2020.

Even Brissett was happy for Mayo, stating, “He was ecstatic, elated, overjoyed. He should be. It’s his first one. He got us ready to go, not only this week but going back to the spring.” Among all the praises that Mayo garnered for his leadership from the dugout, veteran defensive tackle Davon Godchaux said, “Legendary, first African-American coach in New England history. I’ll be telling my kids I was a part of that and excited to be.”

But it remains to be seen whether the Patriots can continue their good start to the season, which had a few ups and downs that need attention. However, looking at early signs, this could be the season when the Patriots turn around their fortunes and become the force they were once.