It's the dawn of a new era for the New England Patriots, who saw Bill Belichick depart the franchise after 24 seasons. The team secured its first win under new head coach Jerod Mayo on Sunday after defeating the Cincinnati Bengals 16–10.
Heading into the game, the Patriots were not expected to come out on top. Led by veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett, the team battled throughout all four quarters to get off to a 1–0 start to the year.
After the win, owner Robert Kraft made a trip down to the locker room to celebrate with the team. He expressed his pride over the victory and rewarded Mayo with a game ball as a gesture of his appreciation for all the work that went into Sunday's win.
Everyone contributes, everyone wins. pic.twitter.com/acOqLjmDv5
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) September 8, 2024
"Every one of you contributed. I'm so proud of the new players, the new coaches. People had all the excuses it couldn't happen, but you all did it. I'm spoiled now, I'm gonna count on a lot more of that," said Kraft.
"Most importantly, we're giving you this now," Kraft told Mayo while handing him the game ball.
The locker room was overjoyed by the gesture, and the team cheered as Mayo received his game ball.
New England will look to keep the good times rolling in Week 2 when they host the Seattle Seahawks in what will be the first home game of the Mayo era.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Robert Kraft Delivered Game Ball to Jerod Mayo After First Win As Patriots Coach.
