Jerod Mayo says Patriots' new center showed something he's never seen

New England Patriots center Ben Brown had a strong debut on Sunday against the Houston Texans, despite the loss.

He played 100 percent of the offensive snaps and did not allow a pressure, per Pro Football Focus. The offensive line as a whole allowed a 30.9 pressure rate against the Texans.

Brown got the start on Sunday after only two practices with the Patriots. On Monday, it was reported that the team had released veteran center Nick Leverett.

The move came after a solid performance from Brown.

Coach Jerod Mayo spoke with the media and commented on Brown’s efforts in his first game in New England.

“This is one of those things, I’ve never seen it before,” Mayo said, as transcribed by NESN’s Sean T. McGuire. “A guy being able to come in here after four or five days and become the starting center. So, he did a great job.

“I would say he probably was our best lineman yesterday, and he did a good job for us. He did a good job all through the week during practice, and then went out there and performed pretty well.”

Getting that center depth is going to be important. Andrews is a 32-year-old currently sidelined with a season-ending shoulder injury.

It’s been a wild week for Brown, who was just signed off the practice squad on October 10. Now, he could be a major part of the offensive line equation moving forward.