Coming out of a bye week, Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo has had a few extra days to do some reflecting on his rookie season at the helm, one that has seen his team go 3-10 through their first 13 games in 2024.
During his weekly interview with The Greg Hill Show on Monday, Mayo was asked to share some introspection.
WEEI’s Jermaine Wiggins asked, “Jerod, you had talked about things that you can change and what you’re doing. And, you know, as a rookie when you come into this league as a player, you kind of know, like, ‘Oh, I can be successful at this level.’ Do you feel the same way when it comes to you as a head coach? Like, you believe that you can be successful?”
“100%” Mayo answered with no hesitation. “I know I’ll be successful, 100%. And look, you’re gonna go through these trying times. Like, that’s what it is. And the mark of a true leader is being able to navigate this and knowing that you’re going the right way.
“And I truly believe that we are going the right way. In the short term it may be disappointing, but in the long term we’re doing it the right way.”
Doing it the right way or not, the Patriots are set to miss the playoffs for the third consecutive season, marking the fourth time in five years New England has gone without postseason football. According to Tankathon, they’re currently positioned to be picking third in the 2025 NFL Draft - the second consecutive season they’d be picking from that spot.
With all of that said, it’s clear that this New England roster is lacking in high-end talent at the moment, and WEEI’s Chris Curtis said that was evident while watching the rest of the league during the Patriots’ Week 14 bye.
“Watching the games yesterday, it was clear to me - I know you’re not gonna say this - that the talent gap is massive when I watch the Bills’ offense, when I see some of these successful teams, and I see what Drake Maye has to work with,” said Curtis. “Are you confident that this team will be in a much different position, in terms of the roster, as we get ready for year two of your tenure as head coach?”
“We’ll 100% be a better football team next year,” said Mayo, yet again exercising no hesitation.
Whether Mayo will be with the team next year to see that improvement is a completely separate conversation (which was discussed - kind of - earlier in this same interview).
For this week, he’ll be returning from the bye to prepare for a road game against the Arizona Cardinals (6-7), who are currently listed as 6.5-point favorites at both BetMGM and FanDuel.