PATRIOTS NEWS Mayo negotiations + OC interviews next week

[1960Pats]

Football's a complimentary sport. If your offense is constantly going 3 and out and not scoring points (or FG's instead of TD's) it keeps the D out there longer and they get worn down by teams with good offenses. This also applies to having bad special teams unit.

This is a case where two out of three is bad. The defense was the only bright spot.

For whatever reason the offense was the weakest link this year.

 

[PatsFan2]

Great post. Reich has run everything. I assumed he wouldn’t be interested and would want an HC job.

On Frank Reich doesn't he have some health Issues with his heart I think??

 

[raduray]

I think that BB and Mr. Kraft agreed that there would be changes if Bills plan to put Patricia in charge of the offense didn't work out. If BB thought Mr. Kraft was meddling too much, I am sure he would leave. Even the GOAT coach has to be held accountable when certain parts of the team are underperforming. The the offensive coaching this season wasn't very good, so changes needed to be made. From what I have read, Mr. Kraft and BB are on the same page regarding the changes.

I don't see Bill walking from a $20M per year gig.

 

[raduray]

Interesting re. Nick Caley who was passed over in favor of Matt Patricia.

 

[venecol]

Why doesn't it work that way though? Not saying you're wrong, I'm just saying I can't find evidence that it can't work that way.

You mean saying that you conducted an interview with a minority candidate in 2019 for a position that was never filled and use that as having met the Rooney Rule when you hand the DC position to a different candidate in 2023? I don't think it's intended to work that way and the Pats would be torched on SM if they tried that. We don't need to give NFL any more excuses to take our picks away.

 

[venecol]

I think what is happening here is that Mayo has been identified and chosen as the successor and BB has decided, maybe approximately, how much longer he wants to coach.
Mayo will probably be named Assistant HC. Steve Belichick will act as the DC, and Mayo will be on the job training to be the next HC.

So they still get around the Rooney Rule. Yea, probably.

 

[Lagaffe_07]

It’s pretty clear that the intention is to keep Mayo to replace Bill. The key word in the press release is : « that would keep him with the team long term ».

That would also mean that Bill is probably gonna retire at the end of 2024 after passing Shula. Because I don’t think that Mayo, who said that he wanted to be a HC, will stay 5 years as a DC here waiting for Bill to retire.

 

[venecol]

are we supposed to be thrilled that Mayo is staying? He is part of the defensive coaching staff who's players have not made a meaningful stop against a top 15 quarterback after Thanksgiving since they stopped a second year Josh Allen on 4th down from inside the Pats 20 with less than a minute left. This defense has done absolutely nothing to warrant anyone coming back. They fail 99.9999% of the time with the $ on the line against anyone not named Zach Wilson, Colt McCoy, or Skylar Thompson.
Definition of a big time stop? See the game in Pittsburgh, 2017 - picked off Roethliesberger in the end zone, inside 20 seconds....2016 the myriad of stops against Atlanta after 28-3, or the 2015 AFC title game in Denver...Defense made a stop and got the offense the ball back around 2 minutes, Brady (who needed that guy!?!?!?!?!) drives them to a TD and they just miss a 2 pt conversion to send it to OT. That's 3 examples of a Pats defense making a big time stop against good quarterbacks...now converse that with the current defense in the "post Brady" era...2022 vs Buffalo, Pats get to within 5 in the 4th quarter and defense promptly surrenders a 49 yard touchdown pass on third and 10...FAIL, game over...In Miami, last game in 2021...Pats get to within, just over 3 minutes left....Miami takes over...3d and 8 just under 2 minutes, Tua for 11 yards, Miami punts it away with 0:14 left, GAME OVER....Pats win that game, they're not in Buffalo wild card weekend, instead they're in Cincinnati. Another example....Clinging to their playoff lives, Pats get to within 3 just over 9 minutes left in Miami. Miami takes over 9:03 left....Bill the Coach's defense allows Miami to mount an 11 play, 6 minute touchdown drive in which Miami only faced ONE third down. That's 2 examples from very close games late season in which a stop could've meant a win.
How bout more failures against good quarterbacks (yes, I could Tua as good because he certainly owns the Pats)???? There aren't as many late season failures against good qbs because the slate is loaded with division opponents so you get Zach Wilson in a bunch of games...so Let's look at earlier season games in which Bill the Coach's defense completely face-planted in the post Brady era....Mac Jones leads s fg drive to give the Pats the lead at 4 minutes vs some guy who Belichick ran out of town....on the ensuing drive, Bill the Coach's defense proceeds to cough up a 2 minute FG drive to give Tampa the lead and the defense fails to force a punt. More Belichick defensive failures? How bout vs Dallas, 2021? Mac Jones gives his team the lead just outside the two minute warning....what did Bill the Coach's defense do? Promptly gave up a game tying FG drive and then in OT surrendered a 35 yard td pass.
I've highlighted many cases of Belichick/Mayo/Belichicks kids defense (in the end, the head coach/gm should shoulder the blame because he makes all the personnel decisions) of the Pats defense completely sucking in crunch time. They are not a big time defense, this defense is a fraud and it has been since Tom Brady left; Brady who covered up for the personnel and coaching failures of the HC of the NEP.

I agree but look at the players Bill gave them: Tavai, 2 rookie CBs, Bryant, old-man McC, 1 trick pony Uche. Aside from Judon there aren't any elite, top 10, pro bowl players on defense. It's a miracle they play as well as they do. Yes, they get exposed against the better QB/teams. Need to get more talent on D to compete. Coaching can only go so far.

 

[venecol]

I don't see Bill walking from a $20M per year gig.

SHULA

 

[jdlboot14]

1 - no one knows how good Mayo really is. Just like Flores, Patricia, Crennel - those guys got tons of credit, but all failed in their solo HC careers. It'd be hard to give him DC + Asst. HC if they want to bring someone on the level of Kliff or Reich - they'd need that title.
2 - Like HC/QB - it takes above average talent on both sides to win. BB compliments good asst/coord. coaches, but can't overcome bad ones.
3 - Payton got his reputation because of Brees, there's no automatic that he'll be great with an average QB.
4 - Caley is getting consideration, but TE was the worst position on the team this year. Major fall off.

 

[BUSTAMOVE]

I thing Mayo staying is a done deal. He will be given some Title, Pay Increase and a promise to be involved in the greater picture of running it all. I think Mayo being wanted for interviews for HC positions has a lot to do with those teams needing to interview minority candidates. He should take those interviews to get experience in that process for his future. Possibly that future may be here. I think he is still a few years away from getting the experience needed to take the leap to a HC somewhere. Mike Vrabel coached for 8 years before getting a HC gig. Mayo has 4 years coaching. BB needs 19 more wins to get to 348. That should be 2 more seasons. Matches up well.

As far as OC. I don't want a complete system change and no way BB does either. O'Brien makes way too much sense for continuity and someone Mac has been around that can actually play call a game where the other team is not calling out your plays. Then get a good QB coach and some O-Linemen and Mac will have half a chance. He was thrown to the wolves this year and I still like have faith in him.

 

[venecol]

1 - no one knows how good Mayo really is. Just like Flores, Patricia, Crennel - those guys got tons of credit, but all failed in their solo HC careers. It'd be hard to give him DC + Asst. HC if they want to bring someone on the level of Kliff or Reich - they'd need that title.
2 - Like HC/QB - it takes above average talent on both sides to win. BB compliments good asst/coord. coaches, but can't overcome bad ones.
3 - Payton got his reputation because of Brees, there's no automatic that he'll be great with an average QB.
4 - Caley is getting consideration, but TE was the worst position on the team this year. Major fall off.

Difference with those guys is they were HCs for different teams. It may be less of a transition doing it inside the same organization. Obviously, we won't know until we know.

 

[Toofy]

This is a case where two out of three is bad. The defense was the only bright spot.

For whatever reason the offense was the weakest link this year.

ST is pretty close in comps with offense. They are expected to be average not stinking bad. We lost 3 games due to ST.

 

[p8ryts]

For the 100th time, though, that Seth Wickersham story was made up BS and not true. We know this because multiple people are on the record as it not being true. Lynch and Shanahan not only categorically rejected it, but they gave a whole narrative of how it went down, from the time they received phone calls, waking up in their homes, tracking people down, etc.

There was never any meddling in the Brady / Jimmy G situation. it was all made up by Wickersham

People can believe what they choose. I choose to believe that Bill was going to trade Tom for a boatload of draft picks and sign Jimmy G to an extension. Kraft said no, Jimmy G ended up in SF instead of TB. It’s what I have always believed.

 

[Ross12]

You mean saying that you conducted an interview with a minority candidate in 2019 for a position that was never filled and use that as having met the Rooney Rule when you hand the DC position to a different candidate in 2023? I don't think it's intended to work that way and the Pats would be torched on SM if they tried that. We don't need to give NFL any more excuses to take our picks away.

I have a hard time seeing fans getting worked up about the Rooney Rule. But yeah, your point about the NFL taking picks away for "non-compliance" when the rule was followed in writing but not in spirit is certainly fair.

 

[venecol]

So, if the theory is that Mayo is Asst. HC or HC in waiting and Lil Stevie keeps the no title defacto DC role, then they don't have to follow the Rooney Rule for the D side.

They would for the OC position. Someone brought up QB coach needing to follow the rule. If so, how did Judge end up as QB coach? Or was this changed this past season?

 

[venecol]

I have a hard time seeing fans getting worked up about the Rooney Rule. But yeah, your point about the NFL taking picks away for "non-compliance" when the rule was followed in writing but not in spirit is certainly fair.

Not fans, the twitter-sphere.

 

[notex]

1 - no one knows how good Mayo really is. Just like Flores, Patricia, Crennel - those guys got tons of credit, but all failed in their solo HC careers. It'd be hard to give him DC + Asst. HC if they want to bring someone on the level of Kliff or Reich - they'd need that title.
2 - Like HC/QB - it takes above average talent on both sides to win. BB compliments good asst/coord. coaches, but can't overcome bad ones.
3 - Payton got his reputation because of Brees, there's no automatic that he'll be great with an average QB.
4 - Caley is getting consideration, but TE was the worst position on the team this year. Major fall off.

I'm not sure why everyone is so high on Caley? Sure I don't know anything about our most of our assistant coaches - obviously I know something about Mayo, Troy Brown, Steve Belichick, Patricia, and Judge... But nothing about Caley. What is it that fans have seen that make him a good choice?

However, just looking at the evidence... If Caley is such a talent - why do we have two very expensive/under producing TEs? Why did we hire a defensive coordinator to run our offense if we had such a talent in Caley already in house? Why didn't we Caley the QB coach job over Joe Judge (surely an upgrade over TE coach).

The other side of it is the PR side. I don't think BB would ever make a coaching staff change based purely on PR. However, the optics of doing an "Exhaustive" search and then settling on a guy who was on your staff already, that contributed to our inept offense, is pretty poor. Plus BB seems to be concerned about the public perception of things.

IMO whoever runs this offense we need a fresh start without BB's handprints on it, because clearly offensive is not his strength (we knew that).

 

[h0c2000]

SHULA

 

[Deus Irae]

If he’s not calling plays how do you know what kind of coach he is?

How does play calling equal all of being a defensive coordinator in your mind, when we have head coaches calling plays on both offense and defense while still having coordinators on that side of the ball?