CINCINNATI – New England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo received a game ball from owner Robert Kraft in recognition of his first career win following Sunday’s 16-10 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Kraft threw the ball to Mayo in the locker room, which led to thunderous cheers from the players.

“It was special. I’m just grateful for the opportunity,” Mayo said, adding that he presented a game ball to executive director of player personnel Eliot Wolf for his first win in that role. “My message to the players was: I’m nothing without them. I made sure they knew that. All credit goes to those guys.”

The 38-year-old Mayo, who succeeded Bill Belichick after 24 years, is the only Patriots coach, along with Ron Meyer (1982), Raymond Berry (1984), Dick MacPherson (1991) and Pete Carroll (1997), to win his first game of the regular season.

“He was ecstatic, excited, overjoyed. He should be. It’s his first game,” quarterback Jacoby Brissett said of Mayo. “He got us ready to go — not just this week, but since (the spring). … Nobody believed in us, but he kept preaching that ‘people are what matters,’ and it paid off.”

The Patriots, who were considered underdogs, beat the shorthanded Bengals thanks to a powerful running game, totaling 170 yards on 39 carries. They limited the Joe Burrow-led offense, which was without receiver Tee Higgins (hamstring), to 224 yards. A plus-two turnover differential and a fourth-down stop in the second half were key factors in the outcome.

When Kraft presented the game ball to Mayo, it was pointed out that Kraft’s first career win as owner also came in Cincinnati – 31-28 on September 18, 1994.

“It’s a good moment to get him his first win, on the road, and start the season off right,” veteran safety Jabrill Peppers said of Mayo. “He’s a player’s coach, great with the Xs and O’s and a great motivator. He’s just a guy you want to play for.”

“He’s a really funny guy, but when it comes to work, it’s work. I think that’s a great mix. He treats his players like professionals and it’s up to us. We take that seriously.”

Eight-year veteran defensive tackle Davon Godchaux poured Gatorade over Mayo’s head on the sideline as the clock ran out.

“Legendary – the first African-American coach in New England history,” Godchaux said. “I’ll tell my kids that I was a part of that and that I’m happy about it.”

The Patriots pulled off their biggest Week 1 upset since 2018, when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the New Orleans Saints as 10-point underdogs, according to ESPN Research.

After its first Week 1 win since 2020, New England will next host the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

Their longest play in Sunday’s opening win was 17 yards – a pass from Brissett to receiver Tyquan Thornton – making them the first team since the Broncos’ victory over the Ravens in 2015 to win a season-opening game without a 20-yard play.

At 16 points, this is the lowest score for a Week 1 win in franchise history (1968, 1991).