Jerod Mayo’s issues have been all-encompassing during his first season as the New England Patriots head coach.
The problems have come on the field, off the field and everywhere in between. It’s led to plenty of backtracking in the media by Mayo, including after the Patriots suffered a 30-17 loss to the Arizona Cardinals this past Sunday.
Mayo basically called out Alex Van Pelt over the offensive coordinator’s play-calling following New England’s 11th loss of the season. He tried to clarify his remarks the next day.
This isn’t the first instance of Mayo sticking his foot in his mouth. He called out his players for being “soft” after New England’s loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in London before backpedaling a day later. Mayo also said the Patriots had “cash to burn” in free agency, but after New England made no notable signings outside of re-signing players, he admitted it was a “rookie mistake” on his part.
Those type of mistakes certainly have piled up for Mayo and his former teammate and three-time Super Bowl champion Devin McCourty believes Mayo’s inconsistent messaging is a critical misstep for the first-year head coach.
“It’s the experience. It’s your first year being a head coach. I think he’s trying to figure things out … and it’s widely talked about,” McCourty told MassLive’s Karen Guregian on the “Eye on Foxborough” podcast. “I think the biggest thing everybody always talks about is what is said after the game and then what is going to be said the next day. I would say that’s probably been his biggest blunder of the season of trying to figure out and control your emotions and everything right after a game, to be able to address the situation, address what happened, whatever it is that goes on.
“Maybe you don’t hit it exactly where you want, but you’re somewhat in the ballpark that you don’t have to be different, or say something different the next day. I’m sure he walks away saying like, ‘I want to get better at this.'”
McCourty definitely doesn’t see the Patriots running like a well-oiled machine, unlike most of the 13 seasons he spent with the franchise. He thinks a lack of “cohesion” on the coaching staff along with not zeroing in on the details led to that.
Mayo’s performance on the sideline and at the podium has continuously showed he wasn’t ready for this head coaching job. And it very well might have put him on the hot seat and trying to save his job over the final three games of the season.
