Patriots’ Alex Van Pelt was hung out to dry in the desert.
“You said it,” Patriots head Jerod Mayo said after a 30-17 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. “I didn’t.”
But Mayo did, essentially, say it. His comments were in response to a specific offensive play call and served as a stamp of approval to the criticism about Van Pelt.
Mayo has stepped in a self-inflicted pile of crap too many times to count this season. It’s almost a stunner if he doesn’t have to walk back something he said. The public critique Sunday, though, might be Mayo’s worst flub yet. (He’ll almost certainly walk it back Monday morning.)
The first-year head coach opened the door, and players followed him through it.
Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte, who dropped a pass that turned into an interception, had no problem throwing shade at Van Pelt. Boutte openly questioned Van Pelt’s game plan and play-calling.
“I feel like we need to be better at attacking that instead of being shy about it,” Boutte told reporters, per the Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed.
Drake Maye’s assessment wasn’t as direct. Neither was that from DeMario Douglas. Those two shared they wanted to play more up-tempo on offense. The Patriots marched 75 yards in six plays for their first touchdown and 70 yards in six plays for their second touchdown. Both fourth-quarter scores, drives that started with New England trailing by three possessions, were a product of tempo.
Maye pushed the ball down the field during those drives rather than the dink-and-dunk game plan the first three quarters — Van Pelt’s game plan.
“You said it. I didn’t.”
That comment was expressed after Mayo was asked about Maye not getting a quarterback sneak on third-and-1 or fourth-and-1 in the second half. Mayo, who could have spoken up and didn’t, seemingly would have preferred that. Maye would have been open to it, too.
“Yeah, that’s a good point,” Maye said. “I was a good quarterback sneaker in college. I’m a big dude. I’m heavier than people think, so I think there may be a conversation for that.”
Perhaps Maye will have that conversation with Van Pelt. Or perhaps it will be with somebody else.
Because at this point, given how Patriots ownership appeared during the in-game broadcast and how Mayo spoke, it feels increasingly likely Van Pelt will serve as the team’s scapegoat. He’ll be gone at season’s end, it seems.
This isn’t to say Van Pelt doesn’t deserve his share of blame. He does. But there’s far more to go around, including ownership, the head coach and players — all of whom departed the desert with water to drink.
