This season has not gone like that patriots would have waited
After a 4-win season, Robert Kraft made the difficult decision to part ways with Bill Belichick and hire Jerod Mayo as their next head coach. It was expected that this rebuild would take some time and that Mayo would have several years to get the team back on track.
However, after a blowout loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, many are wondering if Mayo is now on the hot seat. The Patriots coach enters this final week with a 3-12 record with his team in line to have the #1 pick in next year’s draft.
This leads to speculation that Mayo’s job could be in jeopardy. However, the coach doesn’t seem to feel that way. Asked Monday if he had received assurances from Patriots ownership that he would return, Maye sounded like a man who plans to return to New England in 2025.
“I’m always in constant communication with ownership,” Mayo said. “I feel like we’re still on the same page.”
Part of the problem for this year’s team has been talent. The Patriots have a younger roster, a lackluster offensive line and no elite pass rush options. Add in injuries to several leaders (David Andrews and Ja’Whaun Bentley) and the team has also lacked veteran player leadership.
The Patriots weren’t expected to make the playoffs this season, but the team’s lack of improvement has been problematic. The Mayo side will have finished this season without winning back-to-back games. They enter this final clash on the back of a six-game losing streak.
The Patriots have also struggled in close games. They’ve lost two overtime games (Seattle and Tennessee) and come within one point in losses to Buffalo, Indianapolis, Los Angeles and Miami. They have two wins (Cincinnati and New York) in one-goal games.
When asked what the most impressive thing he accomplished this season as a head coach, Mayo said, “Being able to weather the storm.”
“It feels like we’ve been in the storm for a long time, I think the players, as a whole, have gone to work every day for a tough season,” Mayo said. “I think that’s been a big piece of the puzzle and hopefully we can keep going. We’ve had 8 one-goal games this year and honestly, we’ve got to win those games. That’s what the NFL is and that’s going to be the goal in the future.”
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