Jerod Mayo’s perceived critiques of Alex Van Pelt caught the attention of everyone besides the Patriots offensive coordinator himself.
Mayo met with Van Pelt on Monday morning to explain his eyebrow-raising postgame comment, which surfaced after New England’s Week 15 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. Van Pelt, though, apparently had no idea what Mayo was referring to.
“I spoke to him this morning and he’s like, ‘What are you talking about?'” Mayo told WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” on Monday morning, per the Patriots.
Mayo was surprised his comment — “You said it. I didn’t.” — gained so much traction. It was viewed by many as a slight at Van Pelt, as it was in response to a question about Van Pelt’s questionable play calling.
Mayo walked it back about 12 hours after he initially made it, as he so often does.
“Look, I shouldn’t have done that,” Mayo told the radio station. “And, again, just like I tell the players, I’m still learning how those things work.”
Speaking to reporters on a video conference Monday morning, Mayo said he didn’t mean anything by the remark. Mayo called it a “defensive” response and attributed it to the fact he didn’t want to go down a rabbit hole of trying to explain the decision-making process.
Nevertheless, it initially came across as Mayo signing off on criticism of Van Pelt. Well, to everyone who heard it.
Van Pelt just apparently wasn’t among that group.
