Chris Long singled out a specific Patriots player for praise after Week 1 win vs. Bengals

Long, a former New England defensive lineman, also said he thinks Jerod Mayo will be a "heck of a coach."

Chris Long’s take on the Patriots’ Week 1 win: The Patriots pulled off a surprising win against the Bengals on the NFL’s opening weekend, overcoming the preseason doubts with a 16-10 victory on the road in Cincinnati.

The performance, led by a dominant defensive effort, gave Jerod Mayo a win in his first game as the head coach. It drew plaudits from former Patriot Chris Long during a recent interview on “The Rich Eisen Show.”

“More than anything, New England just had a great game plan and stuck to it,” said Long, who played on the Patriots’ defensive line in 2016 during the run to Super Bowl LI. “I think Jerod Mayo deserves a ton of credit.”

Long also paid credit to Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt and the rest of New England’s coaching staff.

“It wasn’t rocket science, but they didn’t outsmart themselves,” he said. “They got in 13-personnel, with three tight ends in there, one of those being a big [offensive] tackle that they put in as a big tight end. So they’re just trying to collapse the edge down, and make those guys tackle on the edge.”

“They didn’t get bored doing the simple things,” Long noted. “That’s very New England. It really is, and I think Jerod Mayo is going to be a heck of a coach. Proud of him. Draft class of 2008, Virginia native. Just a tremendous guy.”

Long joked about being surprised by camera footage being shown from inside the Patriots’ postgame locker room scene, but said that it “didn’t disappoint because Jerod Mayo seems authentically him, and it seems like those players really have his back.”

One player the former pass-rusher shouted out was New England lineman Keion White, who finished the game against Cincinnati with 2.5 sacks.

“I can’t talk about the Patriots defense without talking about Keion White,” Long pointed out, “a guy I’ve been really high on for two years. He looked like the best player on the field.”

Trivia: Chris Long was the second overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft (with Jerod Mayo being picked 10th). The first quarterback taken that year was selected third overall. Can you name that QB?

(Answer at the bottom.)

Hint: Drafted by the Falcons.

Scores and schedules:

The Red Sox lost to the Orioles 5-3 on Tuesday. With the defeat, Boston fell to four games behind the Twins in the race for the final American League wild card spot.

The two teams play again tonight in the series finale at Fenway Park at 7:10 p.m.

More from Boston.com:

• Caleb Porter fined, suspended for labeling MLS officiating a ‘clown show,’ calling referee a ‘coward’

The meaning behind Carles Gil’s celebration: After scoring a skillful goal for the Revolution in last Saturday’s 2-2 draw against St. Louis City SC — a game that was also accompanied by its share of controversy — Revolution playmaker Carles Gil celebrated with a special gesture.

It was a reference to a Revolution fan who is currently battling leukemia. Gil met the fan prior to the game and promised he’d use the goal celebration they created together.

Jayson Tatum’s new children’s book: The Celtics star stopped by CBS Mornings to discuss the background behind the book that was inspired by his relationship with his son.

On this day: In 1918, amid a shortened season due to World War I, the Red Sox closed out the World Series with a 2-1 win over the Cubs in Game 6 to clinch a fifth championship in team history.

Infamously from a Red Sox standpoint, it would prove to be the final title for the next 86 years until Boston finally broke through again in 2004.

Daily highlight: A Tigers cameraman made an excellent catch look absolutely routine during Tuesday’s game at Comerica Park.

Trivia answer: Matt Ryan