One bit of information that was interesting following New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo’s appearance on WEEI on Monday was the fact that despite the talk of being open to input from his players, one key fact still remained.
Flexibility within the scheme may be something he’s open to. But at the same time, the overall plan needs to be executed.
Mayo made that clear as he talked more about the “collaborative” process he and the players have already gone through in recent years on the defensive side of the football.
He pointed out that he believes that in order to be successful, it needs to be more than just handing out the game plan and telling the guys to go out there and get it done. He said that before the game and even on game day as the game progresses, taking their feedback is important.
He also added that he gives his players the freedom to just go out there and play, allowing them to “paint” whatever picture they want onto what he called a “blank canvas.”
The only restriction? Stay within the outline.
“These guys are players, and at the end of the day, there has to be a shared vision. There has to be … the players have to really feel like they’re being heard,” said Mayo. “They have to feel like they have some stake in the game plan. So, if it doesn’t go right, the accountability piece starts to show up.”
“If you just throw some pages at … ‘Here, this is what we’re doing this week…,’ not saying that’s what we’ve done, but defensively we’ve always tried to take the input of the players. They’re on the field. I always tell those guys, ‘Hey, once you cross the white line, like, it’s yours. Here are the keys to the defense. And I say every week, there’s a canvas, a blank canvas. I’m like, ‘I don’t care what picture you paint, just don’t paint off the canvas. That’s when we’ll have a problem – if you get off the canvas.’”
That approach has certainly served them well. New England finished 2023 ranked 7th in yards per game, as well as 15th in points per game, 11th in passing yards per game, and 4th in rushing yards per game. All while their offense struggled to stay on the field and often left them out there for extended periods during their frustrating 4-13 campaign.
Despite that, they continued playing hard, and it’s clear he’s been someone the players respond to.
He added that while the game plan obviously involves a significant amount of scouting, the execution ultimately comes down to how the players anticipate and adjust, as well as being situationally aware throughout the game.
At the end of the day, he believes those are the things that are the most important.
“So many times, I would say, whether it’s fans or media, they just think it’s so pre-planned out that things don’t change on the field,” explained Mayo. “And my thing is, ‘Look, this is what they’re trying to do.’ Everyone’s like, ‘scouting reports, scouting reports, scouting reports,’ but they’re also self-scouting.”
“Look, we’re using retrospective film to sit here and try to predict what they’re going to do. Now, do those plays start to show up? Absolutely, but my thing is, it’s about awareness. What’s the down and distance? Where’s the quarterback? Who’s the running back in the game? What’s the score? Those things are more important for a football player, right? So he can anticipate what’s going on.”
“It’s not, ‘All right, when they get in this formation, it’s 67% pass.” Like, good luck. Good luck trying to think about that. If you can use those numbers, go play blackjack. Start counting cards. But it’s more about awareness, and those guys having accountability, and the shared vision of the team.”
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Ian Logue is a Seacoast native and owner and senior writer for PatsFans.com, an independent media site covering the New England Patriots and has been running this site in one form or another since 1997.
