TRANSCRIPT: Jerod Mayo Press Conference 8/9
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Here’s the full transcript of Jerod Mayo’s press conference for Friday August 9, 2024:
On why he felt it was important for a veteran like Bailey Zappe to get so many reps last night and for a youngster like Drake Maye to only get six snaps:
“Going into the game, I talked to AVP [Alex Van Pelt], [Ben] McAdoo, and the entire offensive staff about what’s the plan for the quarterback. This conversation has been ongoing. This was always in the plan to develop these guys this way. We’ll see how it looks going forward. It won’t always be the same because we’re still evaluating everyone on the roster, but especially the quarterback.”
On the fact Jacoby Brissett is the starter, so Drake only gets a few of these games, and why he didn’t feel it was important for him to work on the operation and the huddle and some of the game management stuff:
“I mean, those things are always under consideration. I would also say during practice, he gets a lot of reps, and then going into the Eagles week, this honestly is a huge week for everyone to practice against the Eagles. And then really, we’ll see how the reps kind of break down in the game. But I expect Drake to get more reps than he did in the first game against the Eagles.”
On the fact they put Jake Andrews on IR, and if there’s any insight he can tell them on what happened there:
“I’m not going to get too far into injuries and when he got hurt and all those things. But after consulting with the medical staff, both internally and Jake going to get a second opinion, it was just the right thing for him to do is to get surgery, and we had to place him on IR there. So hopefully that answers your question, Mike.”
On how he views the offensive line right now in terms of their numbers and what he’s seeing production-wise in practicing for games:
“Yeah, they’re still under construction, the offensive line. I’ve said it since day one, we’re going to play the best five, whatever that combination looks like. We’re always trying to get better. We’re bringing in some linemen today for a workout, so we’re always trying to get better and improve the front. It all starts there with the offensive line, the defensive line when it comes to winning football games. So, definitely an important part.”
On game day operation, regarding pregame intros, etc. On the fact they changed up the music as the team took the field. It looks like they went from the classic [Ozzy Osborne] ‘Crazy Train’ ‘Let’s go’ by Trick Daddy, and if that’s something where the coaches have a say or who makes those calls:
“That’s above my pay grade as far as the music is concerned. But look, that’s very small as far as what we’re trying to build here as a team and trying to change the culture into going out there and winning football games. I really didn’t have much to do with the music selection.”
On cultural identity and how he would define what he wants opponents to think about this Patriots team and how he wants to present in making changes to that cultural identity:
“On the field, I would say just that we’re a physical team, and I think we showed that last night, at least, that we’re trying to be a physical team. I think guys were hustling and running to the ball and just out there playing with just real joy and excitement for the opportunity. Those guys were excited for their teammates. I think what I hope the other team sees is just the passion and just the love of the game and guys going out there flying around and executing good football.”
On the fact Ja’Lynn Polk got a significant amount of reps last night, and what did he see from him and how has he evolved through training camp:
“Yeah. I’ve always been a huge fan of Polk, even in college, because first of all, he’s able to do the dirty work as a receiver, and those guys are hard to find. But he’s one of those guys that I’m just excited to see his development and growth. Obviously, he can run great routes. He blocks, he can catch the ball, and he can run after the catch. So I think it’s important for him and also [Javon] Baker to go out there and get a good amount of reps because we’re going to depend on those guys going forward.”
On if it was the plan going into last night to bring in offensive linemen for workouts, or if that was based on anything that happened last night:
“No, it has nothing to do with what happened last night. We’re always bringing people in, and Eliot [Wolf] and his staff are always trying to make the team better. It was always the plan.”
If there’s one position on this team that he feels most comfortable depth-wise, that he feels like is the deepest position on the roster:
“That’s a tough question. I would say the safety position is always… I feel like we have good depth there, especially when we get a guy like Marte [Mapu] back in the picture. I like that room.”
On what he liked from David Wallis last night:
“He did a great job. He’s back there catching punts and things like that. He’s an explosive player. Honestly, he’s had a pretty good camp. He’s a hard guy to cover, and I’m glad he showed up last night in the special teams world. He’s a hard worker, and that’s all you can ask for.”
On the fact we’ve already seen a lot fights around the NFL in these joint practices with a couple of teams even getting fined. And if that validates his decision to limit it to just the one practice? And what can he, as a coach, if anything, do to prevent it from happening in the one practice they do have:
“To me, it does. Just having that one practice because honestly, when the fights start to happen, they see stuff on film that they may not have seen live. That was definitely the thought process. Once again, this is an emotional game. Things happen, but you just never want to see a physical fight on the football field. And hopefully, when the egos come in here, I’m going to stress to our guys, that’s not what we’re about. We’re about being tough in between the whistles. It’s not about being tough outside when the whistle is already blown. I will say this, some of those fights, and I tell you, you’re going to break your hand. People are throwing these punches and hitting helmets and shoulder pads. And I’ve always thought that these football fights were pretty silly because you could hurt yourself.”
On the fact that it seems that Oshane Ximines has had a good camp and carried it into last night, and what has he seen from him in the summer, and has he maybe given them a little bit more than you expected:
“Yeah, Ox has done a great job, both in the run game and in the pass game. He played a lot of snaps last night, so that was good to see. So when you talk about stringing plays together, I thought he did a good job. We’ll see what it looks like going forward, but it’s a good start.”
On the fact earlier in the week he said that they had a dry run in the stadium as a coaching staff on Wednesday. How did that go? And maybe what did he learn from that experience that they put into play last night:
“Yeah, the mock game or the dry run, it went well. Now, in saying that, there were things that came up last night that we need to iron out, and that’s the purpose of the preseason. As a first-year head coach, there are things that happened that I just need clarification on, and I’ll work with the coaching staff. But overall, I would say the communication and the execution from the coaching staff down to the field, the guys in the box down to the field, was pretty good.”
On that first group of offensive linemen, if there was anything those guys were dealing with physically that lead to that first offensive line unit only playing two series last night:
“Yeah, a lot of these guys, some of them have nicks and things like that. In saying that, once again, we’re trying to find the best five offensive linemen to go out there and produce for us. Hopefully, after we get out of this Eagles week, we have a better idea of what that five looks like. But during training camp, there’s always things that pop up and you want to kind of manage those guys in the games.
On the fact it looks like they’re taking a patient approach with Drake Maye, and why is it important that approach with him:
“Yeah, each one of these quarterbacks have an individual development plan that I’ve gone over with AVP and the rest of his staff. We’re sticking to that plan until it’s time to change.”
On what he’s you seeing in the competition between Joey Sly and Chad Ryland, knowing that Joey got the one field goal attempt last night and the first kickoff? And what did he learn about the new kickoff rule based on the reps last night:
“Yeah, Sly and Chad, those guys are competing. And once again, the game is a small part, and there’s nothing more important than practice. So we try to put a lot of stress on those kickers, it’s still a wide-open competition, and I look forward to seeing who wins that competition. Now, on the kickoff rule, it was interesting. It was interesting, but I thought those guys went down there. They tried to be physical. Actually, we’re physical in all three phases, but special teams for sure. We got to continue to study the film. Once again, it’s the preseason, so you don’t really get a chance to see some of the scheme things that we’ll probably see during the regular season. But overall, I thought the play went well.”
(Editor’s Note: This transcript is done via the available footage and is subject to typos. If you spot something, please take a moment to let me know in the comments below.)
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