Patriots HC Jerod Mayo

PATRIOTS HEAD COACH JEROD MAYO

PRESS CONFERENCE

October 11, 2024

 

JM: Good afternoon. Before I get started, just want to offer my condolences. We had an employee pass away last week, Laurana George, and just want to offer my condolences to the family. She definitely was a special part of our program. She worked in the dining room, so just wanted to get that out there. Moving on to football, good week of practice. I thought Drake [Maye] went out there and performed well overall. Look, we’ve got to wait and see if it happens in the game, but he’s done a good job. I feel like there’s a renewed sense of energy throughout the team, and now it just comes down to Sunday, going out there and executing. So, fire away.

 

Q: Obviously, keeping an eye on running back, not seeing Rhamondre [Stevenson] over the last couple days. What are you seeing at that position right now?

 

JM: Yeah, look, we’ll see what happens today and going forward. We feel confident about the backs, Gibby [Antonio Gibson], [JaMycal] Hasty, and we’ll figure out who we’re going to elevate after that. But, I feel good about it.

 

Q: You mentioned a renewed sense of energy. How do you see that?

 

JM: You just see it through – I mean, you can feel it, first of all, before you even see anything. You can just feel the guys are locked in and ready to go. Those guys are running back to the huddle and just ready for the next rep, so it’s encouraging.

 

Q: Are you expecting to have the same offensive line combination this week, and if so, how big would that be?

 

JM: Look, we’ll see. You never know, especially – I told you guys last week we probably should do this [press conference] after practice [laughs], but we anticipate there being some stability up front.

 

Q: You guys brought in two centers this week, one with the 53, one with the practice squad. Is that the team trying to build more depth? Are you guys still trying to find the right combination, or how to replace David [Andrews]?

 

JM: I would say we’re always trying to look to improve our roster, and Eliot [Wolf] and his staff identify people that may help us win today or in the future. That’s how we see it.

 

Q: How does being at home for Drake’s first start help him in any way? Is that a benefit?

 

JM: I think it is. It’s your crowd, home crowd. Look, we have to establish – as a team – home-field advantage. That has to be part of our identity, and hopefully the entire team goes out there and plays well on Sunday.

 

Q: Jerod, I asked DeMarcus [Covington] about DeMeco Ryans yesterday. They go back as two Birmingham guys. He also mentioned he appreciates being a black head coach in the NFL. What’s your relationship like with DeMeco, and what are your thoughts along those lines?

 

JM: I mean, look, DeMarcus probably has a better relationship with DeMeco. I would say the history between DeMeco and myself goes back a long way, and he doesn’t even know it. He was one of those guys I looked up to. In college, you try to chase those tackle numbers. I would put Patrick Willis in that same realm as far as me as a young guy trying to chase those guys as far as stats are concerned. He’s done a fantastic job. I would also say Nick [Caserio] has done a fantastic job with that roster as well. Another guy – talking about Nick here – who made moves early on, and no one could really tell what he was doing, and then bam, all of a sudden, they have a good roster. I look up to Nick. I look up to DeMeco and that entire organization, and hopefully we can replicate some of that stuff here in the near term and in the future.

 

Q: I know this is on the front office side, but you mentioned Nick. Are there any lessons you can take from that rebuild as you and Eliot try to bring the franchise back here?

 

JM: Yeah, once again, I would say the one thing is all the moves, everyone won’t agree with everything that you do, and that’s okay. It’s your job as the media, and it’s also the fans’ job to try to figure it out. I try to be as transparent as possible with you guys, but like I said, I think in a production meeting, transparency is what we want you to see or what we allow you to see. It’s not giving you everything, but I’m giving you everything that I want you to have.

 

Q: Just going back to the Rhamondre thing, just to make sure, this is not something that would take him out for a long stretch of time?

 

JM: Correct.

 

Q: Coach, Bill Belichick mentioned on the Coach Podcast how important it is for coaches to have a support system. Obviously, a lot’s been going on since you became head coach. I’m wondering, how has your support system helped you so far?

 

JM: Yeah, look, we’re sitting here, and no one’s happy about our record or anything like that. I still feel like we as an organization are still going in the right direction. I would say my support system starts with ownership – family and all that stuff aside – but ownership, and I would also throw Slate [Matthew Slater], Eliot and [Matt] Groh in that same world as far as really helping me see through the record and which direction we’re going. They’ve been great for me.

 

Q: I don’t know ever how much you’re reading social media, but Christian Barmore tweeted out an hourglass. Is there any update on him right now?

 

JM: He’s progressing. He still has some checkpoints or hurdles to get over, but he’s progressing well.

 

Q: How about Cole Strange?

 

JM: Yeah, he’s starting to look like an NFL player. He’s getting better. We’ll see what happens as we go forward.

 

Q: Do you believe there’s a better chance Christian [Barmore] can play at some point this season than you did a few weeks ago?

 

JM: I would say yes.

 

Q: Sione Takitaki. How is he progressing, and is he getting to a point where you think you guys can be able to use him on gameday?

 

JM: Well, this week he was out there on the show teams. He also was out there with our defense, and he’s progressed nicely…

 

Q: Is that me? [Reporter’s music playing]

JM: Yeah [laughs]. I’m like, you’re not even looking around or attempting to turn that off [laughs]. When that happens inside the squad room, everyone starts coughing to try to cover it up. No one in here helped you at all [laughs]. That is you. Sorry, going back to Takitaki. Takitaki has progressed well. I would say he has a chance. He has a chance this week.

 

Q: Is there a fine for that [laughs]?

 

JM: We’ll let the first one go. Warning letter. You’ll get that warning letter [laughs].

 

Q: Going back to Cole Strange, thinking of all the pieces you have on the offensive line, has there been any thought whenever he comes back to try him at center?

 

JM: 100%. I mean, any of those interior spots. He can play guard, he can play center, and we have to get the best person out there. I think he has the ability, the physical tools to be able to do it.

 

Q: Jerod, you started, obviously, acknowledging someone that has passed away. Obviously, you guys are people, your life intervenes. Last few weeks, [Hurricane] Helene and Milton, part of the country has been affected. A lot of players, of course, come from that part of the country. Describe, I’m sure it’s affected every locker room, what kind of an effect it has on the people in your locker room?

 

JM: Yeah, I reached out to all the players on our team that have family in those areas, and just reassured them, ‘you got to do what you got to do for your family.’ It’s excused if you got to step out and take phone calls or make sure that everyone’s good. I’m okay with that. We always talk about if home isn’t right, then on the field won’t be right. I’ve been on both sides of the fence, where things are happening with the family and then it affects you on the field. Until we get the family and friends thing right, we can’t really expect those guys to go out there and perform at their highest level. I sympathize and empathize with all those affected by the hurricane.

 

Q: Coach, with the situation at center, will there ever be any consideration of giving Mike [Onwenu] some of the control when it comes to setting protections and everything now that he’s inside?

 

JM: That’s not really under consideration right now. What you would like to see, if the center position can’t handle it, is the quarterback taking over that role. But once again, we have a rookie quarterback making his first start this week. You don’t want to put it on him. Look, we’re fairly confident in the centers that we have on the roster being able to make those calls.

 

Q: With the limitations that Cole has on the PUP List right now, is he able to snap to quarterbacks?

 

JM: He’s not doing any of that.

 

Q: Jerod, you mentioned in the past how many people on your staff have experience working with quarterbacks, and Ben McAdoo is one of those. Can you describe to us some of the things he’s done with Drake over the course of Drake’s time here that’s allowed him to be ready for this game?

 

JM: Yeah, not specific to McAdoo, but I would say if you look across the league, most of the offensive coordinators are the starting quarterback’s coach. In saying that, I would say between AVP [Alex Van Pelt] and B-Mac [McAdoo] and T.C. [McCartney], the ratio is pretty good, one-to-one in that instance. I don’t want to forget Jacoby [Brissett] as well, his mentorship, how he approaches the game, how he’s played the game, and his toughness and leadership. We had a captain’s meeting yesterday, and he’s in there, still has a lot of respect in that locker room. He’s rooting Drake on, which is special to see. I know you asked about B-Mac, but I kind of pivoted over to Jacoby.

 

Q: You mentioned captains. There’s been a lot of attrition there, a couple of guys on IR…

 

JM: Man, tough being a captain, tough.

 

Q: Pep’s [Jabrill Peppers] situation…

 

JM: Why did you go right to that one? There have been other situations. Jacoby as well. David Andrews, [Ja’Whaun] Bentley.

 

Q: Yeah, the guys on IR. So how have you guys handled that from a leadership perspective?

 

JM: Look, you’re a voted captain by your peers. I would also say there are levels to leadership. I would say that we have some people that also offer leadership. I’ll throw Kendrick Bourne in that bucket, a guy who just recently got back. He may not have a C on his chest, but he is a great leader for our organization. I would say we have a few of those players in the locker room.

 

Q: Jerod, on Jabrill, you opened with him in your statement on Wednesday. Have you gathered any new information? Is there any update there as far as where you stand?

 

JM: Yeah, I’m just going to stand on the statement that I said earlier. And once again, we do believe in due process, and we’ll see what happens. Thanks, guys.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Transcripts are provided by the Patriots media relations department as a courtesy to the media and are edited for readability. All press conferences are posted and archived in their entirety on patriots.com. The duplication or posting of this transcript in its entirety as original content is prohibited. Media are encouraged to link to the complete transcript on patriots.com when sharing full quotes with their audiences.

Download the Word Doc here: Mayo 101124