The New England Patriots entered their Week 1 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals as 7.5-point underdogs, but definitely did not look that part early on in the game. In fact, they were the better team through the first quarter and built a 7-0 lead on the first play of the second.
Running back Rhamondre Stevenson found the end zone from 3 yards out to cap off a 14-play, 80-yard rally that knocked 7:20 off the clock in style. With Joey Slye hitting the extra point, the team went ahead by a touchdown early in Jerod Mayo’s debut as head coach.
As for Stevenson, he has been significantly involved early in the game. His touchdown run was his seventh carry of the day, accumulating 27 total yards and hitting the end zone on that one occasion.
Of course, the players up front also deserve a mention: led by rookie guard Layden Robinson and offensive tackle Michael Onwenu, they dominated the line of scrimmage on that play.
