It’s too early to judge how the Patriots will fare this season during Jerod Mayo’s first season as a head coach.
There’s a long way to go in this 17-game season. Mayo still has massive shoes to fill as the Patriots look to build an identity without Bill Belichick at the helm for the first time in nearly a quarter-century.
The roster still has obvious holes, Mayo and his staff are still new and relatively inexperienced, and there will almost certainly be bumps along the road as they grow.
But, the new-look Patriots already have one signature win under their belts and the rookie coach already has a level of respect in his locker room that isn’t given right away to just anybody.