The latest Patriots loss was certainly a step in the wrong direction, as New England suffered a blowout loss on the road against the Miami Dolphins.
It was a game that simply didn’t go right, in any aspect, for the Patriots.
Throughout the game, New England looked completely unprepared and — stop us if you’ve heard this one before — undisciplined.
When all was said and done, the Patriots lost a 34-15 decision and were penalized 10 times (!) for 75 yards.
At first look, Mayo took responsibility, telling reporters, “It starts with me. We’ve had these hiccups where the penalties really affected us, and it did today.” But then, a few moments later, the first-year coach threw his players under the bus while still sort of blaming himself.
“Once those guys cross the white lines, there’s nothing I can do for them,” Mayo said, per team-provided video. “There’s nothing any coach can do that for them once they cross the white line. It’s my job to continue to prepare not only them but our coaches to go out here and play better football.”
He’s not wrong that he cannot control what ends up playing out on the field, but there are legitimate questions as to how he actually prepares the Patriots week after week. And he has continually said, “It starts with me.”
This isn’t the first time Mayo has said the team’s discourse starts with him. He told reporters just last week after the loss to the Los Angeles Rams that the defeat started with him and he “needed to be better.”
So, if it starts with him, Mayo should be embarrassed by his team’s lack of effort and execution on the field because the Patriots simply aren’t talented enough to overcome self-inflicted wounds. They need to play motivated, mistake-free football to have a chance on any given Sunday.
“That’s what the game really came down to,” Mayo said. “It’s us going out there, kicking ourselves in the butt or stomping our toe against the wall because of penalties. I don’t think any team wants to go backward in any case, but we did that today.”
If Mayo wants to get the Patriots heading in the right direction, he needs to find a way to get the players to have better execution and discipline going forward.
The Patriots host the Indianapolis Colts next Sunday before getting a rest in a bye in Week 14.
