Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat And Chronicle
All week long the Boston media has been debating the future of Jerod Mayo as Patriots coach. Mayo once again put his foot in his mouth after last week’s loss to the Cardinals and that led to many people around these parts questioning if he was qualified to coach the team beyond this season.
On Sunday morning, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that the Kraft family planned on bringing Mayo back barring a “late season collapse.” After Sunday’s 24-21 loss to the Bills, I would expect Mayo to be back next season. He is not going anywhere.
The Patriots played well and should have won the game had they not turned the ball over three times. Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt put together a good plan and was aggressive with his play calling. The defense held the hottest offense in the NFL to 24 points, a week after they hung 48 on the Detroit Lions. Whether you like Mayo or not, he got the team ready to play on Sunday and in the process saved his job.
The players to a man all had Mayo’s back after the game, specifically quarterback Drake Maye who supported Mayo and declared he is proud to be a Patriot.
“Yeah, just trying to block out that noise. I think it’s a bunch of conversations about our coaching staff and stuff like that. I think it’s some BS, to be quite honest. Coach Mayo, those guys, like I said, we’ve got his back, and he’s coached us hard. He wants to win. We all want to win. We’re all frustrated. AVP’s [Alex Van Pelt] been – I feel like – calling great the past weeks. We’re just plays away, and it’s basically me turning the ball over. I think it’s just a testament to these guys that keep fighting. We keep fighting. Shoot, we’re not going to make the playoffs; we’re out of the race, and these guys are coming in, frustrated when we don’t score. They’ve got energy at practice, and they’ve got energy coming into the game. We want to win. There’s guys not even playing that are yelling on the sidelines and wanting to win. So, I think we’re building something good, building something that feels right here, and I’m proud to be a Patriot.”
Mayo appreciated Maye’s sentiment after the game and he reiterated how much he cares about his players.
“It means a lot. It means a lot. Hopefully, those guys know I care about them not only as football players, but as men. That’s always been my message, and it’s been consistent all year. I care about these guys as men, and I have to continue to get better so we can get in the win column and push forward.”
In fairness to Mayo, all the chatter about his job status was silly. The Kraft’s were never going to fire him after one season. A season which was viewed as a bridge season. The 2024 season was always going to be about Mayo getting his feet wet as a head coach and developing Maye. I am sure Robert Kraft wishes the team was more competitive at times but by in large, the two primary objectives for this season have been met.
Now it is about remaining competitive in the final two weeks of the season. I know maintaining a top three pick is more of a priority for the fans but the Patriots need to be competitive in these final two games. Losing cannot become the norm. The Patriots have the Chargers and Bills left. Tough games but they can play with and possibly beat both teams depending on how things shake out with the AFC playoff picture.
It is still too early to tell if Mayo is the right coach for this team long term. On Sunday however he proved that he can become that if given time. That is why he will be coaching this team next season.