Is Mayo the Right Guy to be leading this team?

[Stu Pidassle]

I'm 50 and I've been watching for close to 40 years. This is the worst 4 game stretch that I've ever seen the Patriots play. By 'worst', I mean things like too many penalties, poor tackling, poor clock management, lack of competitiveness, poor scheme, and too many mental mistakes like blown coverages.

Some of it can be blamed on lack of talent. Most of it is terrible coaching. We can't even get very basic stuff right- for example our timing on screens is atrocious... and every high school team should be able to execute that.

This is all against a backdrop of obnoxious, ridiculous comments that pour gasoline on this fire. "burn some cash", the fake QB competition, "thunder", etc....

Does Mayo still have time to turn it around? Yes.
Do I have confidence that he will? No.
Should he be fired he doesn't? YES!

Under the best of circumstances a brand new coach will take some time to adjust. Unlike an experienced coordinator who has secretly been working on a blueprint for how he is going to run the team when the HC job comes along, it seems clear that Mayo is defining his blueprint out on the fly. He has the smarts to figure it out if given multiple seasons if RKK is committed to his choice. If so, we need to expect some Victor Kiam, late Sullivan era football until Mayo learns to be a good HC.

 

[Thelonious]

I've been thinking about this (something I clearly do not always do before posting). There have been many signs of indiscipline both on the field in sloppy play and penalties, and off the field in the media, on the socials, on the street, in players' private conduct. At first, it seemed to me sort of gossipy and tabloidesque to blame it on the head coach. But if it isn't the HC's job, whose is it? It is the coach's, even if "only" in the sense that he establishes and sustains the team's "culture." I am afraid that in times this tough and in a sport this demanding, there is no place for Mayo's Oprah-based, feel good, puppies-in-a-box style. I am not ready to say it can't work, but it does seem at this point fair to say that it isn't working. The only substantial bright spot at this point is the promise we think we see in Maye, and Mayo had nothing to do with that.

 

[cmasspatsfan]

Discount it? No, not entirely. But its not the same as coaching. You think it is equivalent? Its not. Its not even close. He wasn't even a coordinator at the pro level. He never had that responsibility of making the defensive game plans for the team. Steve did that.

Being a player is a different experience. Experiencing something does not equate to being able to effectively teach people, lead people as a coach. That does not mean that he cannot learn how to do the job. But its ridiculous on its face to compare him to someone who has a decade more coaching experience than he does.

McDaniel was primed for a HC job. If Mayo had walked away from New England, how many real opportunities to be a HC would he have gotten?

Answer that question honestly and maybe you understand where I am coming from when it comes to him.

I thought a team was interested in him so there's one.

 

[cmasspatsfan]

I've been thinking about this (something I clearly do not always do before posting). There have been many signs of indiscipline both on the field in sloppy play and penalties, and off the field in the media, on the socials, on the street, in players' private conduct. At first, it seemed to me sort of gossipy and tabloidesque to blame it on the head coach. But if it isn't the HC's job, whose is it? It is the coach's, even if "only" in the sense that he establishes and sustains the team's "culture." I am afraid that in times this tough and in a sport this demanding, there is no place for Mayo's Oprah-based, feel good, puppies-in-a-box style. I am not ready to say it can't work, but it does seem at this point fair to say that it isn't working. The only substantial bright spot at this point is the promise we think we see in Maye, and Mayo had nothing to do with that.

There were problem's when Bill was her over the years too, we were winning so nobody cared, now that we're losing its magnified.

 

[dliverey44]

And Bill had those 5 wins with Drew Bledsoe as his QB, not Jalopy Brissett.

If I had to guess why we're seeing so much early negativity directed at Mayo, I'd say it's a reaction to losing Bill. This team wasn't expected to be good and it isn't.

Yea there are a lot of BB apologists here. In my opinion greatest coach ever and it was time to go. People calling Mayo and idiot, so does that make BB an idiot for pestering Mayo to come coach?

 

[Ring 6]

Under the best of circumstances a brand new coach will take some time to adjust. Unlike an experienced coordinator who has secretly been working on a blueprint for how he is going to run the team when the HC job comes along, it seems clear that Mayo is defining his blueprint out on the fly. He has the smarts to figure it out if given multiple seasons if RKK committed to his choice. If so, we need to expect some Victor Kiam, late Sullivan era football until Mayo learns to be a good HC.

Why would you want a coach you hope can figure out how to be a coach and hope is smart enough when you could hire someone who has proven it, at least to a degree?

 

[Ring 6]

Yea there are a lot of BB apologists here. In my opinion greatest coach ever and it was time to go. People calling Mayo and idiot, so does that make BB an idiot for pestering Mayo to come coach?

Kraft recruited Mayo to the coaching staff and anointed him HCOTF before he coach a day at any level.
If belichick did “pester” Mayo to be a position coach it’s to be a position cia h not a head coach

 

[borg]

Why would you want a coach you hope can figure out how to be a coach and hope is smart enough when you could hire someone who has proven it, at least to a degree?

To save money

 

[dliverey44]

Kraft recruited Mayo to the coaching staff and anointed him HCOTF before he coach a day at any level.
If belichick did “pester” Mayo to be a position coach it’s to be a position cia h not a head coach

The point was that all of the BB can't do wrong crowd are calling Mayo an idiot, but I am asking is that same energy there when it was BB that sought out Mayo. Obviously BB is going to want him as a position coach and not offer him the HC job and yes it would be Kraft that appoints Mayo as the HC as that is what the owner does. I have to admit you are pretty good at pointing out the obvious.

Bill Belichick apparently spent years trying to get Jerod Mayo to join coaching staff

 

[Boogs]

We saw the minute Mayo opened his mouth at his first press conference, that hiring him was a terrible idea. One of the first things he says is that he's building his team based on "diversity." Mayo said he wanted the skin color others of his locker room to look like the world. That was an immediate red flag that this was just going to end up being very bad. Pretty odd comments from a head coach that is just supposed to go out and hire the best coaching staff and hire the best players.

 

[goheels22002]

We saw the minute Mayo opened his mouth at his first press conference, that hiring him was a terrible idea. One of the first things he says is that he's building his team based on "diversity." Mayo said he wanted the skin color others of his locker room to look like the world. That was an immediate red flag that this was just going to end up being very bad. Pretty odd comments from a head coach that is just supposed to go out and hire the best coaching staff and hire the best players.

Actually, it is interesting to put together the best DEI roster in the among active players by 2024 representation - 68% of NFL players are African American, 28% are White, and the remaining 4% are Latino and Pacific Islander/Asian. I'm surprised that the Latino percentage is so low since so many Latino kids play high school and college football now and there are lots of NFL players with Latino surnames. Still, having a team that is representative of the league population isn't a big deal.

Baseball is a different mix - 60% White, 30% Latino, 6% African American, 4% Asian/Pacific Islander. Interesting thing that Black kids are so well represented in the NBA and NFL, and not so much in the MLB given the history of baseball.

Frankly, I don't think racial representation among players at the pro level matters much. If you can play, you'll get discovered and you get paid. Ownership and coaching is a whole other matter. I'm glad that Robert Kraft hired Jerrod Mayo as the first African American HC of the NEP. Mayo's learning a lot already as the ups and downs of this NFL season unfolds.

 

[Thelonious]

There were problem's when Bill was her over the years too, we were winning so nobody cared, now that we're losing its magnified.

I think that's a fair rejoinder. It may well be be (I think it definitely would be) the case that Bill, for different reasons. might be no better than Mayo at leading this team in its present state, bereft of talent and in need of a complete rebuild. The present question is whether Mayo, or anyone with Mayo's approach, is the right man for the job. I begin to suspect he is not. He certainly deserves the balance of the year to prove the doubters wrong, but - and this is all I think can be said at this point - so far I do not think he is that man. We should not be surprised at this, given the asinine, unprofessional "job search" leading to the hire and the nebulous basis - a personal relationship, essentially - upon which he was hired. Mayo seems to think he can blab and posture his way through this phase of the team's development. I don't think he can. We need someone who can bring clarity and purpose to the job, not someone who offers contradictory happy talk alternating with vaguely threatening remarks which are followed up with no action whatsoever. We also need someone with the backbone to lead, rather than indulging in endless mister-may-I with his colleagues and underlings.

 

[Clonamery]

Yea there are a lot of BB apologists here. In my opinion greatest coach ever and it was time to go. People calling Mayo and idiot, so does that make BB an idiot for pestering Mayo to come coach?

A LB coach vs HC? It does not compute.

 

[WhatJustHappened]

People complained about Bill benching guys because they were stupid...
He did what he had to do to TEACH them.
Not sure why that doesn't make sense.

 

[eagle eye]

Mayo started off saying about having this player friendly environment. He's clearly overstepped the mark and the players think they can do what they want and get away with it.
That's all on the coach and with everything I've seen since he got the job I believe he is not and never will be a good head coach.

 

[Patsfan1645]

I don't think he was ready (maybe never will be) and was rushed into the position with limited experience which all came from one source. I saw red flags at his first press conference just on based on what he said. Maybe he gets it together, takes his lumps and learns moving into year two. But I personally don't think he will be the HC for more than a few years. I hope I am wrong!

 

[Stu Pidassle]

Why would you want a coach you hope can figure out how to be a coach and hope is smart enough when you could hire someone who has proven it, at least to a degree?

That's a good question for RKK.

 

[rogerthat]

Mayo started off saying about having this player friendly environment. He's clearly overstepped the mark and the players think they can do what they want and get away with it.
That's all on the coach and with everything I've seen since he got the job I believe he is not and never will be a good head coach.

Well he certainly doesn't look or act the part, and the team is not playing like he is the part- so far.

It's not just the record, either. We are just a bad organization right now.

 

[Ring 6]

The point was that all of the BB can't do wrong crowd are calling Mayo an idiot, but I am asking is that same energy there when it was BB that sought out Mayo. Obviously BB is going to want him as a position coach and not offer him the HC job and yes it would be Kraft that appoints Mayo as the HC as that is what the owner does. I have to admit you are pretty good at pointing out the obvious.

Bill Belichick apparently spent years trying to get Jerod Mayo to join coaching staff

And you are pretty good at ignoring the obvious.

You tried to claim that if Mayo is a bad HC it reflects negatively on the guy who thought he would be a good position coach.
Why?
When a good salesman gets promoted to manager and fails do you go back and criticized the guy who hired him as a salesman?
I guess I don’t really understand the point you are trying to make.

 

[borg]

Well he certainly doesn't look or act the part, and the team is not playing like he is the part- so far.

It's not just the record, either. We are just a bad organization right now.

Just pointing out that Patriots' players with injury designations who have had run ins with the law after midnight this season are now two for two.

Two searches......two drug discoveries.

Chandler Jones must be wondering how differently things would have played out in NE had Mayo been in charge.