{"id":55924,"date":"2024-10-03T11:18:28","date_gmt":"2024-10-03T15:18:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/?p=55924"},"modified":"2024-10-03T11:27:55","modified_gmt":"2024-10-03T15:27:55","slug":"patriots-mayo-facing-a-crossroads-as-players-are-painting-outside-his-canvas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2024\/10\/03\/patriots-mayo-facing-a-crossroads-as-players-are-painting-outside-his-canvas\/","title":{"rendered":"Patriots Mayo Facing a Crossroads as Players Are Painting Outside His Canvas"},"content":{"rendered":"

With 13 games still ahead for the 1-3 New England Patriots<\/strong><\/a>, Jerod Mayo is quickly reaching a crossroads during his first season as an NFL head coach.<\/p>\n

Having lost three straight games, including two in disappointing fashion after consecutive losses of 24-3 and 30-13 to both the Jets and 49ers, it’s been a frustrating two weeks for a fan base that’s starting to get restless.\u00a0 They’ve watched a team that seemingly continues to go backward on offense while their defense, the one strength they seemed to have, has also started heading in that direction.<\/p>\n

Mayo’s club is now about to be out in front of those fans for two straight weeks, and things might get rough if this team looks anything like it has the past two games.\u00a0 The hope is that a visit by a banged-up Miami Dolphins team can hopefully be their opportunity to stop the bleeding as the club embarks on a two-game homestand before they head to London to face the Jaguars in three weeks.<\/p>\n

What things might look like by then is going to be interesting.\u00a0 When it comes to the trajectory of the Patriots’ rookie head coach, this might be one of the most important stretches he faces this season.\u00a0 As most of us know, Mayo’s job is likely safe beyond 2024, regardless of New England’s record at the end of this year.\u00a0 But with his club facing a significant amount of adversity, how he handles these next 13 weeks might set the tone for his future and determine whether or not ownership is forced to take a deeper look at things next January.<\/p>\n

One key issue right now is it feels like Mayo’s going to have to do a better job of walking the fine line between being a player’s coach and a disciplinarian.\u00a0 As the lone bright spot for the club in Bill Belichick’s final season, the defense was the unit Mayo had hoped might help set the tone across the locker room.<\/p>\n

“Yeah, I\u2019m going to have my coach\u2019s hat on for the majority of the time,” Mayo told WEEI earlier this offseason<\/strong><\/a> when it came to balancing his relationship with players. “What I will say is, especially on the defensive side of the ball, taking some of those philosophies that we had on the defensive side of the ball and really spreading it through the rest of the team.”<\/p>\n

As a coach under Belichick and as a former player, Mayo’s ability to be tough while also understanding the challenges the players faced made him someone his guys respected.\u00a0 Belichick’s style was old-school and tough, while Mayo was the perfect go-between for a generation that isn’t the same as it was 20 years ago.<\/p>\n

\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

(PHOTO:\u00a0 Sam Greene\/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images)<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

With Mayo since taking the reigns as the team’s head coach, it’s been a point he’s emphasized more than once as he’s embarked on this journey.\u00a0 It’s also one Patriots owner Robert Kraft has echoed for much of the offseason.<\/p>\n

“I know the players, when we\u2019re not talking about football, which I think is important, especially with this generation,” said Mayo\u00a0back in April<\/strong>\u00a0<\/a>when it came to his philosophy.\u00a0 “Being able to talk about different things is important, and really showing the players that you care about them and their development, not only on the field, but off the field. So that\u2019s the way I kind of think about it.”<\/p>\n

That relationship and how players responded was the key thing that reinforced Kraft’s decision to name Mayo as head coach after the team and Belichick parted ways<\/strong><\/a> at the start of the offseason.<\/p>\n

However, Mayo’s quickly finding out the dangers when that line starts to become blurred.<\/p>\n

Part of those issues have already crept up.\u00a0 Star running back Rhamondre Stevenson has opened the season by fumbling in four consecutive games, with Stevenson catching a break on the first three, while finally having one end up as a turnover this past weekend against the 49ers.<\/p>\n

After not addressing it previously, Mayo finally took action on Sunday.\u00a0 Following the turnover, Mayo sat him briefly for a series, with the two also seen having a discussion on the sideline. Stevenson later came back in and finished the game while at least appearing to get two hands on the ball a little more frequently than he had been for the remainder of the contest.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo me, a lot of this stuff goes back to body language and showing discipline,” said Mayo after the game<\/strong><\/a> when asked about it.\u00a0 “I always talk about those type of things, and there\u2019s no one out there more disappointed than Rhamondre as far as his ball security issues are concerned. It was a talk. Look, it is what it is. Change the page, and let\u2019s move forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, Mayo appears to have a bigger issue he’s going to need to address.\u00a0 Earlier this week, Davon Godchaux and Jabrill Peppers revealed during their respective press conferences that there are guys on defense that are being “selfish,” which is putting them in some tough spots.\u00a0 For a unit that had been pretty solid at the start of the season, they’ve been allowing an uncharacteristic amount of big plays, which played a significant role in their two most recent losses.<\/p>\n

\n

\"Jerod<\/p>\n

(PHOTO: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images)<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

During both of these games, they’ve played quarterbacks in both Aaron Rodgers and Brock Purdy, who each did a good job when they were allowed to make plays outside the pocket.<\/p>\n

That’s been a point of emphasis in past seasons, which was something we’ve always heard Belichick talk about at various points during his tenure.\u00a0 We’ve also seen it first-hand when the team has faced players like Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes, and it’s been a big key in those types of match-ups.<\/p>\n

However, we saw issues at various points in their Week 2 overtime loss to the Seahawks, where Gino Smith was also able to move around a fair amount as he put up 327 yards passing along with a touchdown.\u00a0 But it’s since continued, and it’s now becoming a problem.<\/p>\n

Following the game against the Jets, Mayo was visibly frustrated, given what they allowed Rodgers to do as he repeatedly made plays after they let him get outside.<\/p>\n

“He was getting the ball out fast,” said Mayo of Rodgers after that game<\/strong><\/a>. “I would say one of the more disappointing things that we talked about, ad nauseam, was to keep him in the pocket. I felt like we, at too many times, let him out of the pocket, and this is a guy who can make all of the throws.\u201d<\/p>\n

The same thing happened on Sunday early in that contest.\u00a0 Purdy burned them twice on the 49ers opening drive after New England’s defense went after him but didn’t stay disciplined on the edge.\u00a0 Instead, they overpursued him, with Purdy picking up runs of 7 and 5 yards respectively on third down to move the chains and extend the drive.<\/p>\n

They ultimately held the 49ers to a field goal, but it was a bad omen.\u00a0 It’s also something that has since had some rumblings that point the fingers at players who don’t appear to be abiding by what they’re trying to do.<\/p>\n

To make matters worse, their secondary, a unit that is considered to be their strength, also faltered.\u00a0 Purdy burned New England for several big pass plays, hitting throws of 38, 53, and 45 yards, respectively, but the most alarming part was the fact two of those plays came after the 49ers twice went right after their defense on the first play on two consecutive drives, catching New England off guard both times.<\/p>\n

Former safety Devin McCourty used to talk about the “get the [expletive] back” philosophy their defense took pride in.\u00a0 That was something that was unfortunately missing on Sunday.<\/p>\n

\n

\"Jerod<\/p>\n

(PHOTO: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports)<\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The 53-yard completion was the second pass of 50 yards allowed this season<\/strong><\/a>, with Derek Metcalf having put up one of 56 yards on his touchdown back in Week 2. Last season, the Patriots gave up just one pass of 50+ yards, which was a 51-yard play by Dalton Kincaid, and it didn’t come until Week 17 against the Bills.<\/p>\n

The last time multiple players made big receiving plays happened in 2022, which saw a similar showing when both Garrett Wilson (54 yards) and Denzel Mims (63 yards) each came up with two big catches for the Jets in Week 8.<\/p>\n

As a result, there are issues that point at cracks for a team that was thought to have at least one side of the football they could rely on.\u00a0 Both Peppers and Godchaux pointed out that all is not well on defense, and Mayo faces the challenge of trying to reel these guys in before things skid any further off the rails.<\/p>\n

“We just all got to be on the same page, man,” said Godchaux during an appearance on WEEI’s Jones and Keefe on Monday<\/strong><\/a>.\u00a0 “We got guys, just to be honest, we got guys, some guys just being selfish. Because guys, I get it, I mean, we\u2019re down, guys want to make plays. I get it, but everybody got to play. I\u2019m talking about defense. Everybody has to play as 11, and everybody has to sacrifice to do what\u2019s best for the team. I know some guys want make plays when we\u2019re down, trying to get back in the game, but we got to just keep going as a team and play team defense.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mayo actually alluded to this earlier in the offseason.\u00a0 He talked about his philosophy when it came to the guys on defense, saying at the time that he gave guys the freedom to try and make a play as long as they stayed within what they were trying to do.\u00a0 He explained it as a canvas players were free to paint, but explained that they needed to stay within it, on both sides of the football.<\/p>\n

“We brought in 17 new coaches all with great energy, but they also have to be firm,” said Mayo. “We have things that we need to get done. Accountability amongst the players is always a big thing. Whether you have a player hat on or a coach\u2019s hat, we\u2019re all responsible and our job as coaches are to put those guys in the right place so they can go out there and make plays. I always say, \u2018Look, here\u2019s your canvas. I don\u2019t care what picture you paint on the canvas, just stay on the canvas.\u2019 And as long as we do that, I think we\u2019ll be going in the right direction.\u201d<\/p>\n

That’s something that doesn’t appear to be happening at this point.<\/p>\n

While Peppers and Godchaux didn’t point fingers at anyone in particular, this will absolutely be something to keep an eye on. The club has been down this road previously and Jamie Collins, a freakish athlete that was a big part of New England’s defense for a stretch, was a player who was said to be freelancing quite a bit, leading to frustration with the coaching staff.<\/p>\n

It apparently reached a point where Belichick ultimately made the decision to both sit him down and eventually part ways with Collins, which sent a message to the rest of the locker room.<\/p>\n

Mayo now needs to figure out his own way to keep these guys in check.\u00a0 The issues on offense are well-documented, with that unit facing problems of its own that might ultimately determine Alex Van Pelt’s future with the football team.\u00a0 But Mayo’s future, while seemingly solid for this year, will be determined by what state the team is in by the time January gets here.<\/p>\n

While Kraft spoke earlier this offseason about hoping his team wouldn’t struggle, he likely felt that way due to their level of talent.\u00a0 However, having them struggle because guys are going outside the lines Mayo has put in front of them is a different story, and it’s one that Mayo will need to hopefully get a handle on starting this weekend against the Dolphins.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With 13 games still ahead for the 1-3 New England Patriots, Jerod Mayo is quickly reaching a crossroads during his first season as an NFL head coach.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":55855,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,23152],"tags":[153],"class_list":["post-55924","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-patriots-commentary","category-pf","tag-jerod-mayo"],"yoast_head":"\nPatriots Mayo Facing a Crossroads as Players Are Painting Outside His Canvas<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"With 13 games still ahead for the 1-3 New England Patriots, Jerod Mayo is quickly reaching a crossroads during his first season as an NFL head coach.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2024\/10\/03\/patriots-mayo-facing-a-crossroads-as-players-are-painting-outside-his-canvas\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Patriots Mayo Facing a Crossroads as Players Are Painting Outside His Canvas | PatsFans.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"With 13 games still ahead for the 1-3 New England Patriots, Jerod Mayo is quickly reaching a crossroads during his first season as an NFL head coach.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2024\/10\/03\/patriots-mayo-facing-a-crossroads-as-players-are-painting-outside-his-canvas\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"PatsFans.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pfans\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-10-03T15:18:28+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-10-03T15:27:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/USATSI_24358613_168390408_lowres-scaled.jpg?fit=1707%2C2560&ssl=1\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1707\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ian Logue\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@ianlogue\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@patsfans\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/2024\\\/10\\\/03\\\/patriots-mayo-facing-a-crossroads-as-players-are-painting-outside-his-canvas\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/2024\\\/10\\\/03\\\/patriots-mayo-facing-a-crossroads-as-players-are-painting-outside-his-canvas\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Ian Logue\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/2785562a57e86e99346895c90e0f5459\"},\"headline\":\"Patriots Mayo Facing a Crossroads as Players Are Painting Outside His Canvas\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-10-03T15:18:28+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-10-03T15:27:55+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/2024\\\/10\\\/03\\\/patriots-mayo-facing-a-crossroads-as-players-are-painting-outside-his-canvas\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":2065,\"commentCount\":2,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/2024\\\/10\\\/03\\\/patriots-mayo-facing-a-crossroads-as-players-are-painting-outside-his-canvas\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/09\\\/USATSI_24358613_168390408_lowres-scaled.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Jerod Mayo\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Patriots Commentary\",\"PF\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/2024\\\/10\\\/03\\\/patriots-mayo-facing-a-crossroads-as-players-are-painting-outside-his-canvas\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/2024\\\/10\\\/03\\\/patriots-mayo-facing-a-crossroads-as-players-are-painting-outside-his-canvas\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/2024\\\/10\\\/03\\\/patriots-mayo-facing-a-crossroads-as-players-are-painting-outside-his-canvas\\\/\",\"name\":\"Patriots Mayo Facing a Crossroads as Players Are Painting Outside His Canvas\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/2024\\\/10\\\/03\\\/patriots-mayo-facing-a-crossroads-as-players-are-painting-outside-his-canvas\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/2024\\\/10\\\/03\\\/patriots-mayo-facing-a-crossroads-as-players-are-painting-outside-his-canvas\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/09\\\/USATSI_24358613_168390408_lowres-scaled.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-10-03T15:18:28+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-10-03T15:27:55+00:00\",\"description\":\"With 13 games still ahead for the 1-3 New England Patriots, Jerod Mayo is quickly reaching a crossroads during his first season as an NFL head coach.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/2024\\\/10\\\/03\\\/patriots-mayo-facing-a-crossroads-as-players-are-painting-outside-his-canvas\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/2024\\\/10\\\/03\\\/patriots-mayo-facing-a-crossroads-as-players-are-painting-outside-his-canvas\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/2024\\\/10\\\/03\\\/patriots-mayo-facing-a-crossroads-as-players-are-painting-outside-his-canvas\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/09\\\/USATSI_24358613_168390408_lowres-scaled.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/09\\\/USATSI_24358613_168390408_lowres-scaled.jpg\",\"width\":1707,\"height\":2560,\"caption\":\"Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/2024\\\/10\\\/03\\\/patriots-mayo-facing-a-crossroads-as-players-are-painting-outside-his-canvas\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Patriots Commentary\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/category\\\/patriots-commentary\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Patriots Mayo Facing a Crossroads as Players Are Painting Outside His Canvas\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"PatsFans.com\",\"description\":\"Patriots Blog with News and Analysis\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"PatsFans.com\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/01\\\/PF_Social_Logo.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/01\\\/PF_Social_Logo.webp\",\"width\":300,\"height\":300,\"caption\":\"PatsFans.com\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/pfans\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/patsfans\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/patsfans\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.pinterest.com\\\/patsfans\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/patsfans\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.tiktok.com\\\/@patsfans.official\"],\"foundingDate\":\"2000-06-17\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/2785562a57e86e99346895c90e0f5459\",\"name\":\"Ian Logue\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/7b2113f449563ae600081c59c6ab854ff66f15920ebfefc0fcb643c764d4ad94?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/7b2113f449563ae600081c59c6ab854ff66f15920ebfefc0fcb643c764d4ad94?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/7b2113f449563ae600081c59c6ab854ff66f15920ebfefc0fcb643c764d4ad94?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Ian Logue\"},\"description\":\"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.\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/ianlogue\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.patsfans.com\\\/patriots\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/ian\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Patriots Mayo Facing a Crossroads as Players Are Painting Outside His Canvas","description":"With 13 games still ahead for the 1-3 New England Patriots, Jerod Mayo is quickly reaching a crossroads during his first season as an NFL head coach.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2024\/10\/03\/patriots-mayo-facing-a-crossroads-as-players-are-painting-outside-his-canvas\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Patriots Mayo Facing a Crossroads as Players Are Painting Outside His Canvas | PatsFans.com","og_description":"With 13 games still ahead for the 1-3 New England Patriots, Jerod Mayo is quickly reaching a crossroads during his first season as an NFL head coach.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2024\/10\/03\/patriots-mayo-facing-a-crossroads-as-players-are-painting-outside-his-canvas\/","og_site_name":"PatsFans.com","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pfans","article_published_time":"2024-10-03T15:18:28+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-10-03T15:27:55+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1707,"height":2560,"url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/USATSI_24358613_168390408_lowres-scaled.jpg?fit=1707%2C2560&ssl=1","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Ian Logue","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@ianlogue","twitter_site":"@patsfans","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2024\/10\/03\/patriots-mayo-facing-a-crossroads-as-players-are-painting-outside-his-canvas\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2024\/10\/03\/patriots-mayo-facing-a-crossroads-as-players-are-painting-outside-his-canvas\/"},"author":{"name":"Ian Logue","@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/2785562a57e86e99346895c90e0f5459"},"headline":"Patriots Mayo Facing a Crossroads as Players Are Painting Outside His Canvas","datePublished":"2024-10-03T15:18:28+00:00","dateModified":"2024-10-03T15:27:55+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2024\/10\/03\/patriots-mayo-facing-a-crossroads-as-players-are-painting-outside-his-canvas\/"},"wordCount":2065,"commentCount":2,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2024\/10\/03\/patriots-mayo-facing-a-crossroads-as-players-are-painting-outside-his-canvas\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/USATSI_24358613_168390408_lowres-scaled.jpg","keywords":["Jerod Mayo"],"articleSection":["Patriots Commentary","PF"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2024\/10\/03\/patriots-mayo-facing-a-crossroads-as-players-are-painting-outside-his-canvas\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2024\/10\/03\/patriots-mayo-facing-a-crossroads-as-players-are-painting-outside-his-canvas\/","url":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2024\/10\/03\/patriots-mayo-facing-a-crossroads-as-players-are-painting-outside-his-canvas\/","name":"Patriots Mayo Facing a Crossroads as Players Are Painting Outside His Canvas","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2024\/10\/03\/patriots-mayo-facing-a-crossroads-as-players-are-painting-outside-his-canvas\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2024\/10\/03\/patriots-mayo-facing-a-crossroads-as-players-are-painting-outside-his-canvas\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/USATSI_24358613_168390408_lowres-scaled.jpg","datePublished":"2024-10-03T15:18:28+00:00","dateModified":"2024-10-03T15:27:55+00:00","description":"With 13 games still ahead for the 1-3 New England Patriots, Jerod Mayo is quickly reaching a crossroads during his first season as an NFL head coach.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2024\/10\/03\/patriots-mayo-facing-a-crossroads-as-players-are-painting-outside-his-canvas\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2024\/10\/03\/patriots-mayo-facing-a-crossroads-as-players-are-painting-outside-his-canvas\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2024\/10\/03\/patriots-mayo-facing-a-crossroads-as-players-are-painting-outside-his-canvas\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/USATSI_24358613_168390408_lowres-scaled.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/USATSI_24358613_168390408_lowres-scaled.jpg","width":1707,"height":2560,"caption":"Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/2024\/10\/03\/patriots-mayo-facing-a-crossroads-as-players-are-painting-outside-his-canvas\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Patriots Commentary","item":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/category\/patriots-commentary\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Patriots Mayo Facing a Crossroads as Players Are Painting Outside His Canvas"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/","name":"PatsFans.com","description":"Patriots Blog with News and Analysis","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/#organization","name":"PatsFans.com","url":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/PF_Social_Logo.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/PF_Social_Logo.webp","width":300,"height":300,"caption":"PatsFans.com"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/pfans","https:\/\/x.com\/patsfans","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/patsfans","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/patsfans\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/patsfans","https:\/\/www.tiktok.com\/@patsfans.official"],"foundingDate":"2000-06-17"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/2785562a57e86e99346895c90e0f5459","name":"Ian Logue","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7b2113f449563ae600081c59c6ab854ff66f15920ebfefc0fcb643c764d4ad94?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7b2113f449563ae600081c59c6ab854ff66f15920ebfefc0fcb643c764d4ad94?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/7b2113f449563ae600081c59c6ab854ff66f15920ebfefc0fcb643c764d4ad94?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Ian Logue"},"description":"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.","sameAs":["http:\/\/www.patsfans.com","https:\/\/x.com\/ianlogue"],"url":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/author\/ian\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/USATSI_24358613_168390408_lowres-scaled.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55924","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55924"}],"version-history":[{"count":50,"href":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55924\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":55978,"href":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55924\/revisions\/55978"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/55855"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55924"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55924"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patsfans.com\/patriots\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55924"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}