On Sunday, the Patriots lost their fifth straight game, falling to the first-place Buffalo Bills 24-21 at Orchard Park. This loss dropped New England’s record to 3-12 on the season, propelling them into position to be picking No. 2 overall in next spring’s NFL Draft.
Of course, that’s not set in stone just yet, as the Patriots still have two games to go in the 2024 season. But when that type of scenario is in the mix for any team, there’s going to be questions surrounding the head coach’s job security.
First-year head coach Jerod Mayo dealt with questions about his future leading into Week 16, and those questions continued on Monday during his weekly appearance with The Greg Hill Show.
“We’ve been talking about the different reports that have been coming out,” said WEEI’s Courtney Cox. “Whether it’s, you know, the Krafts have told you that you are good to go for next season. I know that you answered that question with the media last week, saying, ‘I don’t know where these reports are coming out from.’ Then Dianna Russini said, you know, three games left of the season, the Krafts want to see close games, but they feel like he is the future.
“Is that a distraction for your team? Are you proud of how they’ve handled it? It must be annoying for you that that is a narrative that your guys have to answer to.”
“I mean, look, it’s not - I mean, you said it and I agree with you,” said Mayo. “It’s just annoying that -”
“You said it, not me?” Cox interrupted, having some fun with Mayo’s phrasing as it relates back to the controversy he created in last week’s postgame.
Mayo laughed, and said, “We are not…Going. Back. Down. That. Road. Are we all clear? Ultimately, every decision in football - it starts and ends with me.”
After that quick detour, Mayo asked Cox to repeat her question.
“I just feel like it must be annoying,” said Cox.
“The guys, they handle it the way they handle it,” said Mayo. “I never tell them what to say, And to me, it’s about, you know, the consistency and the messaging within the building, and that’s what it’s all about.
“I can’t, you know, control what’s being reported. I can’t control, you know - there are things I just can’t control. But what I can control is my attitude and the way I approach every single week - the way I approach all the players, you know, trying to get them better.”
Cox followed up with, “Well, because Drake Maye - when he was asked about it after the game, he said, basically, ‘I think the reports are B.S., and we support Jerod, we support [Alex Van Pelt].’ But the look on his face, the way he was grabbing the back of his neck, it’s like, ‘When are we going to stop this narrative, over and over again, week after week?’
“Do you wish that, maybe, the Krafts would come out and, ‘Hey, we’ve had the discussion. Jerod’s good to go next year.’”
“Again, like - I don’t know what that would do,” said Mayo. “It doesn’t matter. Look to me -”
“Shut us up,” Cox interrupted.
“No, I mean - look, you guys gotta fill up the airwaves somehow, so it’s fine,” said Mayo. “Like, for me and for the team, we’re pushing forward, and we’re getting ready for the Chargers. Look, we just have to continue to get better. It’s about the process, and that’s what we’re doing.
“Obviously no one’s excited - fans, coaches, players, anyone - no one’s excited about our record. But what we have to do is just go back to the drawing board every single week and continue to get better on a down-after-down basis, day-after-day basis.”
The week of preparation heading into Week 17’s home game against the Chargers is a weird one, with the game being on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. and with Christmas smack dab in the middle of the week.
Los Angeles (9-6) is currently a 5.5-point road favorite coming into Gillette Stadium.