Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo isn’t keeping it a secret.
New England is going to run the ball a lot in 2024.
Mayo, in an appearance on “Up & Adams” with Kay Adams on Monday, was asked what he wanted the Patriots’ offensive identity to be during his first season in the big chair. He gave a simple answer and one that aligns with what he’s said all along.
“I said this in front of our entire team yesterday,” Mayo said. “We are going to run the ball. We’re going to have plays off running the ball, but I think with our backs and our offensive line getting better every day, I think we’re going to have a chance to really go out there and control the game with the run game, and then throw the ball down the field based on that.”
Mayo has kept the answer to that question consistent, reiterating as much just minutes later when he met with local media before practice began.
“We’re going to lean on our defense this year,” Mayo said. “I would also say offensively, we’re going to run the ball and try to control the game that way.”
The Patriots’ decision to hire Alex Van Pelt made that abundantly clear, as he coordinated rushing attacks with the Cleveland Browns that stood atop the league standings for multiple seasons.
“I think running the football in this league wins games, wins championships, being able to do that late into the season,” Van Pelt said in February.
Rhamondre Stevenson will be the focal point, as New England will allow him to play in an outside zone-heavy scheme that resembles the one he ran collegiately, while also relying on some similar principles that he had success with during his first few seasons in the league.
If the Patriots hope to find any sort of success in 2024, it will come on the backs of the running game. Just ask Mayo.
