CINCINNATI — Jacoby Brissett didn't have to be spectacular in his first start for the Patriots.
The journeyman quarterback had Rhamondre Stevenson run the ball against the Cincinnati Bengals, who didn't put up much of a fight.
Stevenson rushed for 120 yards and a first-quarter touchdown, Joey Slye kicked three field goals and New England won Jerod Mayo's debut as coach, beating mistake-prone Cincinnati 16-10 on Sunday.
Brissett, the nine-year veteran chosen by Mayo to start over first-round draft pick Drake Maye, held onto the ball and kept the Patriots moving well enough to outlast the slow-starting Bengals.
“He was great,” Mayo said. “He made plays with his arm, he made plays with his legs. He’s a tough guy. He took some hits in the game, and I’m just like, ‘Man, get up.’ He did everything we asked him to.”
Mayo, a 38-year-old former Patriots linebacker, was previously an assistant to six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick, who agreed to step down after going 4-13 last season.
Brissett directed a methodical 80-yard drive in the first quarter that included six first downs and was capped by Stevenson's 3-yard TD run.
The Bengals were simply bad in the first half and for most of the second.
Cincinnati went three-and-out on its first three possessions. Joe Burrow moved the Bengals into the red zone in the second quarter and came away with nothing.
Tight end Mike Gesicki appeared to make a falling catch in the back corner of the end zone, but a replay showed he hadn’t maintained control.
On the next play, a third-and-11 from the Patriots 15, Burrow connected with tight end Tanner Hudson at the 9-yard-line, but safety Kyle Dugger stripped the ball at the goal line and cornerback Marcus Jones scooped it up and ran 17 yards the other way.
Burrow, fully healthy to start a season for the first time since his rookie year in 2020, finished a pedestrian 21 of 29 for 164 yards.
His No. 1 receiver, Ja’Marr Chase, kept everyone guessing as to whether he was even going to play Sunday. He had limited participation in preseason practices as he awaits an expected deal on a contract extension. He elected to play and had six catches for 62 yards. Chase said he was sick with food poisoning in recent days but felt fine for the game.
In the second half, Cincinnati's Charlie Jones fumbled away a punt, which led to a Patriots field goal. Then the Bengals came up a yard short on a fourth-down pass and turned the ball over.
Cincinnati finally got into the end zone near the end of the third quarter on Zack Moss' 5-yard run. Evan McPherson's 51-yard field goal cut New England's lead to 16-10.
The Bengals got the ball back with 2:56 left, did not get a first down, and elected to punt. Stevenson rushed for two first downs and the Patriots ran out the clock.
“We lost the turnover battle 3-0,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor said. “One on offense, one on special teams and one a turnover on downs. Missed a lot of tackles today. (That) led to 170 yards rushing. No recipe in that style of game to be able to win. It’s very clear. You lose a turnover battle like that in Week 1, it’s going to point you to a loss. We’ve got to be accountable for that.”
Brissett began his career in 2016 with the Patriots before playing for Indianapolis, Miami, Cleveland and Washington. Maye had a better preseason, but Mayo said he went with Brissett because he didn't want to throw the rookie out there in the opener. Brissett finished 15 of 24 for 121 yards.
“I think I cried three times before the game,” Brissett said. “I cried when I got the stadium, and I cried when Mayo came up to me. He started laughing and he was like, 'Man, you're about to win us this game. You're about to ball out.' I had never heard that from a coach before. That meant a lot to me. My emotions were definitely high.”
Patriots: Host Seattle next Sunday.
Bengals: At Kansas City next Sunday.
