The New England Patriots are officially 1–0 in the post-Bill Belichick era, picking up a win in their first game under new head coach Jerod Mayo.
With Jacoby Brissett under center, after Mayo named the veteran the team's starting quarterback over rookie first-round pick Drake Maye, the Patriots took down Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals 16–10.
After the game, Brissett revealed to reporters that Mayo left him floored with a powerful pregame speech that brought him to tears.
"I think I cried three times before the game. I cried when I got to the stadium. I cried when [Coach] Mayo came up to me and he started laughing like, 'Man, you're gonna win this game. You're gonna ball out,'" said Brissett. "You know, I had never heard that from a coach. That meant a lot to me... My emotions were definitely high."
#Patriots QB Jacoby Brissett said he cried 3 times before the game — one of those times was after Jerod Mayo’s pre-game pep talk.
— Carlos Talks Pats (@LosTalksPats) September 8, 2024
“Mayo came up to me… before the game and he like started laughing and he’s like, ‘Man, you’re about to win us this game. You’re about to ball out.’… pic.twitter.com/ekpERY58d0
Sunday was Brissett's first start since November of 2022 and he helped New England pick up its first win of the new campaign. The 31-year-old completed 15 of 24 pass attempts for 121 yards without throwing a touchdown or interception. Although it wasn't a world-beating performance, it was enough to get the job done and usher in the Mayo era with a win.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jerod Mayo's Pregame Pep Talk Brought Patriots QB Jacoby Brissett to Tears.
