TRANSCRIPT: Jerod Mayo’s Appearance on WEEI 10/7
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Here’s what New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo had to say on Monday during his weekly interview on WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show:
Hey, Coach. Good morning. How are you?
“I’m doing okay. Obviously disappointed in the game. I thought defensively and special teams-wise, I thought those guys played good enough to win the game. Offensively, a lot of challenges and just not good enough.”
Things look different when you’re watching as a fan, so probably looks completely different to you. But is that the worst game you’ve been involved in in your professional career?
“Not at all.”
Not at all?
“No, there have been bad losses around here. But once again, my focus is on this one, and it’s a true loss if we don’t learn from it, including myself. So been around in some tough games.”
Twelve penalties over 100 yards. I know you’re disappointed. You put that more on the guys or on you as the head coach?
“It initially starts with me. And we just have to be better. I will say, going back to some of those penalties that happened in the game, I mean, some of them were questionable. Even with Nick [Leverett], they said he moved the ball forward and called him for that penalty. And there were other things that happened, but when it’s all said and done, they called the penalty, and we just have to be better.”
Jerod, one of the things that you consistently talk about where you’re struggling is your inability to throw the football. Like you said, you ran the ball well, you played good defense, special teams. What are you going to do differently moving forward that you think you guys need to do to change it so you can stop making some plays?
“Look, we’re in the solution business. No matter who the players are in the locker room, we as coaches, have to come up with solutions. I say it every week, every spot is going to be evaluated, and it still holds true today.”
We talk about this with the Red Sox. Do you have the personnel on this football team on this roster to be winning these games?
“Look, we’re always looking to get better. I’m not going to sit here and say, Our roster is good or bad. This is what we’re working with. It’s my job and the coaching staff’s job to get these guys to go out there and perform at a high level consistently here and going forward.”
This past week, there’s been a lot of reports, whether it was the ‘Mutiny’ report that in the locker room, ‘it’s teetering on a mutiny,’ you had [Devon] Godchaux, [Demarcus] Covington talking about players being selfish out there. What is the issue right now? When you look at this team, are we blowing it out of proportion, or is there a lot of frustration behind closed doors?
“The mutiny report is what it is. Guys put out things all the time, if it’s true or false. That’s for you guys to decide, and you guys to put your spin on those things.”
The unfortunate thing, just heads up, in in a mutiny, the captain is the last one to know. So just be careful:
“I appreciate that.”
Like, lock the doors.
“What I will say is when a player comes out and says, look, you guys use what the players say, and they also use you guys as vessels to get the word to the players as well, because they all listen to it, they all read it, see it on social media. What I will say, I agree, some of the plays that we had, and this goes back a couple of weeks now, letting the quarterback out of the pocket. It’s like, ‘Look, let’s play within the scheme.’ And I tell the guys all the time, ‘This is the canvas. I don’t care what picture you paint, but just stay on the canvas.’ So you have to have those guardrails to keep those guys in order. And if you’re not doing your job, then look, you can’t be on the field.”
Is there truth to it? Just the mutiny?
“I don’t think so. But I’m the last to know. You should ask [the players].”
“We asked Jahlani Tavai about it, and he said on Friday, he said, ‘Absolutely not.’
“You could ask everyone.”
I did ask Jahlani Tavai about JacobyBrissett and whether he thought Jacoby gave the team the best chance to win. And he paused, said, ‘I don’t know. You have to ask Coach Mayo.’
“Which I would say it’s all good to pause. When you ask a question, sometimes you got to think about what you want to say.”
But in all sincerity, so do you believe that the plan, whatever it is, is the most effective way to build at the most important position?
“We’re going to get better. And once again, I would say all positions are always being evaluated.”
“Pause.”
I guess maybe to piggyback off his question a little bit, do you feel like at this moment, right now, Jacoby Brissett still gives you the best chance of winning?
“Look, we haven’t had our full staff meeting today. That’s a conversation not only at that spot, but all the spots, ‘how do we get better as a football team?’ We’re not playing well. It’s not a secret. And being the head coach of this team, I have to accept all the responsibility for that.”
When it comes to the mutiny thing, are there players that express to you that they think that Drake Maye might give you a better chance to win?
“I don’t want to get into what players have told me in my office or anything like that. But once again, we have to take a look at everything.”
If you have a meritocracy, which I think you do, and you said that there have been times that Drake Maye has outplayed Jacoby Brissett, do you risk – let’s say the locker room stuff is mostly nonsense made by the media, I’ll buy that – do you risk losing a locker room as a former standout all-pro player yourself if you see that the most important position isn’t being occupied by the guy that gives the team the best chance to win?
“One thing I would say about Jacoby, and I’ve said this time and time again, and even yesterday, he was hit quite a bit. Look, I admire his toughness and being able to get back up and continue to play the game. He made some good throws yesterday. He also missed some throws, and that has shown up pretty … all season. Now, in saying that, he’s been hammered back there in the pocket, and I think it’s unfair to sit here and be too critical of him, but at the same time recognizing to give this team the best chance to win, we have to be able to throw the ball. Like I said earlier, it’s a solution-based business, and we got to find solutions as coaches.”
What was the plan for the end of the game yesterday? Was the plan to get the ball to Hunter Henry because it did seem like you just let time run off the clock?
“That was a mis-execution on multiple couple levels, which I would say as the game wore on, the focus, especially in those critical situations, just wasn’t there. We have to do a better job making sure we understand these situations, which we go through situations all the time. Even going back, looking defensively, they were just on the field too long. It gets to a point in time where those guys are tired. We had a guy, Marte Mapu, this is his first game and played the majority of the snaps. We got to be in better condition. We got to be able to execute in those critical situations, and it starts with me.”
Jerod, I think the biggest reason why we’re frustrated as fans is we looked at this team before the season started, and we looked and said, Okay, on paper, you’re better than Washington. We think you’re better than Chicago. and Denver. Here’s what I would say is when you see these young quarterbacks that looks like they’re getting better, I think that’s where the frustration for us as fans comes in because we felt …
“Which is fair.”
We felt like we were going to be in that same situation, and maybe we’d be sitting here, not to say at four and one, but three and two, headed in the right direction where we go, ‘Okay, we got our guy of the future.’
“Which is fair that you and the fans feel that way. I would say as a coach and being inside this building, and I’ve said it time and time again, we have to do what’s better, not only for the short term, but the long term, which I understand. And don’t fall into the narrative fallacy. I mean, this goes back to when [Mark] Zuckerberg started Facebook and everyone started dropping out of college thinking they’re going to start the next Facebook. We see a couple of quarterbacks out here doing well. There’s also hundreds of examples over the years of it not going that same direction. And that’s how I feel.”
When you look at, like Wiggy brought up the Commanders, you look at that organization, what is the difference when it comes to the result that they’re getting from your perspective? Because you look similar…
“I know what you’re trying to lead me to. The quarterback threw 90 % … ”
I’m good. I thought that might be what …
“Look, the quarterback at the Commander – not to get into talking about other teams – he threw 90 % in one game. I think the other game was, what, 85 %? He’s playing well. And he’s playing at a high level.”
Jerod, we’d be remiss not to ask about Jabrill Peppers. We just found out about that. Do you have anything to say? I know the organization said no further comment at this time, but as a head coach, this is a guy under you:
“Yeah. I mean, look, he called me that morning. I knew what was going on. And the NFL, we’ve informed the NFL what was going on, and we’re still gathering information.”
So he’s still on the team as far as you’re aware?
“Yeah, I don’t think anyone knows the facts or anything like that. I mean, it’s a process.”
How do you feel like the young wide receivers are progressing?
“I think they are progressing. I would say, look, let’s look at [Kayshon] Boutte yesterday. I mean, the guy, he gets a few catches, but I think the most impressive thing or the thing that I want them to hear is on that long run by Ramondre, Boutte’s out there blocking, and that’s how you get those big plays where everyone out there is helping one another.”
With Rhamondre, was the plan always to have him not start and then put him in in the first quarter? Was that just you were going to see how the game went?
“Well, I would say yesterday, those guys rolled quite a bit. And the plan was to have Gibby [Antonio Gibson] go in there and start the game off, and we’ll go from there.”
And I guess the last one for me is, it might not be my last one based on what you say, but how do you feel like… Because I heard you talk about the coaching staff and you guys got to do better. How do you feel that Alex Van Pelt is doing, especially when you’re talking about the offense here when it comes to designing plays, maybe creativity, and to get some things going as far as for your passing game. How you feel like he’s been doing? Is there some things you’d like to see him do more of?
“One thing I would say, look, these are the cards that we’ve all dealt. And I would say, look, let’s start up front. It always starts up front, no matter what side of the ball you’re talking about, defensive line or offensive line. We’ve had multiple combinations up front. And so you get kind of limited until you feel good about those five guys that you have up front. What I will say is we got out of the game yesterday relatively, relatively injury-free compared to the past couple of weeks. So hopefully, we could build some consistency there, and those guys get on the same page.”
How much of a role do you have with Alex Van Pelt in the offensive game plan as you build up so this week for the Texans? Or is that, he’s the head coach of the offense, you’re overlooking?
“No, and I kind of took that back when I said it earlier. I think it was in training camp. Look, I’m ultimately the head coach. I spend time, a lot of time, equal time, I would say, with the offensive defensive and defensive staff. And we go through all those things. And look, it may not be the same lingo, but I would say from an idea standpoint, remember, it’s all about spacing. I give my thoughts, and he puts together a game plan.”
Do you give thoughts, though … with the four plays, you’re averaging just under eight yards of carry, you have four plays to get in the end zone. You throw four straight times. Was that a mistake in hindsight?
“Well, I wouldn’t want to say it’s a mistake. What I will say is we got down there, and even though we did throw the ball, there were … the execution of the players was bad. That’s what I would say.”
I think there is a concern for those of us who love you, loved you as a player, Wiggy was saying this earlier, that you don’t have full say when it comes to something like who your starting quarterback is going to be. And I think that comes from those who have heard you say, you said it, you said again on this show last week, he outplayed Jacoby Brissett in training camp. I think there are some who go, ‘Wait a minute, is it his decision to make?’ And if so, how is he not walking in there today and going, ‘All right, we got to give something different to try here?’
“Yeah, and that’s fair. It’s a fair assessment of your opinion. I’ll just leave it at that. You guys are here. Look, you can offer up any opinion.”
Is it your decision only?
“Can I say … It’s my decision only.”
Only?
“Only.”
Not Elliot [Wolf], not Robert [Kraft]?
“My decision only.”
There’s a lot of cap space, too. I don’t know if you know…
“Oh, there are lots of players.”
I’ll lighten the mood a little…
“The mood’s not heavy, though. For me, at least. Look, we lost. We’ve not played well. We haven’t performed well. We haven’t coached well enough to get wins. With that being said, it’s all a waste if we don’t learn from these mistakes and get better going forward.”
Yeah, I like that. NFLPA suggested this week that they want locker room interviews to go away. Sometimes guys are caught without a towel on. Sometimes Wiggy …
“Is that the main thing, caught without a towel on?”
Wiggy used to do that on purpose.
“We’re all adults.”
That’s it. Eyes up. Eyes up. You don’t know what I got below the waist.
“What’s happening?”
You think they got to go? No opinion on that? Either way, no opinion on that? All right. Anybody else with Coach before he gets to work?
When do you think you’ll make a decision if you’re going to go with Drake for next week?
“Look, we’re still going to the film from yesterday, and we’ll see how it goes.”
“Okay. Thanks, guys. ”
(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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