Jerod Mayo and the New England Patriots cemented their run-first identity during their Week 1 win against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Mayo and company also might have established their main mantra for the 2024 campaign.
"Yesterday, in the fourth quarter, I heard guys on the sidelines saying, 'Take them to the hill!'" Mayo said during a video conference Monday morning.
Yesterday, in the fourth quarter, I heard guys on the sidelines saying, 'Take them to the hill!'
Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo
The slogan is in refence to New England's conditioning hill the team would run at the conclusion of each training camp practice. It was a staple from Bill Belichick's two-decade tenure at One Patriot Place and something Mayo felt should stick.
"I was so excited, just hearing that from the players," Mayo said. "It meant a lot."
Given the Patriots earned the win on the back of their physical run game and crunch-time conditioning, it's fair to think it could become a theme for the team this season. It's a symbol of the "hard route" they took during the preseason, Mayo said.
"That just means taking them into the deep water and all the extra things that we do, it pays off. It pays off in the long term," Mayo said. "It's hard for people to see in the short term how that stuff really affects the outcome of games."
There's no debate the Patriots were the more well-coached team Sunday.
Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt's initial scheme and in-game tweaks helped the offense record 170 rushing yards. New England's defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington deployed an aggressive and hard-hitting brand of football, which helped the Patriots claim a plus-2 margin in the turnover battle. Patriots special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer had the unit playing a pivotal role, as well, best depicted by Joe Cardona's forced fumble and Brenden Schoolers' open field tackles.
Mayo revealed New England's game plan before the contest, stressing the importance to control the line of scrimmage. But it's one thing to say it and another to go out and do it. The Patriots did both.
"We said before the game, 'It's going to be a certain point in the game where we're just going to overpower them,'" quarterback Jacoby Brissett told reporters, per a team-provided transcript. "We're going to out-condition them and do all the little things right more than them, because of all the work that we put in. And I think that was on display."
The Patriots won't be changing their style of play any time soon. Mayo doubled and tripled down publicly, saying New England will keep it on the ground until the group is forced to adjust.
That will be the job of the Seattle Seahawks at Gillette Stadium on Sunday.
But first, the Patriots will take it to the hill.
