Patriots HC Jerod Mayo

PATRIOTS HEAD COACH JEROD MAYO

PRESS CONFERENCE

October 16, 2024

 

JM: Good morning. Not even going to chuckle with the good morning [laughs]? Alright, that one missed. That’s all good. Doing well. Look, turning the page on to Jacksonville, a team that, even though their record may not be what they want it to be, they still have weapons all over the place. They have weapons, obviously, on the defensive line, linebackers, really on all three levels defensively. I’ll say offensively, they also have big players over there. We’ve got to do a good job matching their intensity, or they have to match our intensity, and that’s going to be our focus this week. Our focus also is we’ve got to start games faster. We’ve got to start games faster, and that’s definitely a point of emphasis this week.

 

Q: Do you feel like this trip to London can re-energize you guys and get you going in the right direction?

 

JM: Yeah, I hope so. I would say, looking back on that last game that we just played, there were times and things that you could pull out of that game and be encouraged about. In saying that, I think we need to do a better job playing complementary football. Hopefully, a long trip across the pond helps us continue to build our relationships, chemistry, and start trending in the right direction.

 

Q: Jerod, short of schematics and game planning, what can you do to try to produce better starts? What are the things you do this week to try to produce better starts?

 

JM: Yeah, we have a period in practice today where it’s like nothing else really matters. It’s not about X’s and O’s and schematics. You must have seen the practice script [laughs]. We have a start fast period where it’s just offense versus defense, and we’re rolling out of the gate, and that’s the plan.

 

Q: AVP [Alex Van Pelt] mentioned a period last week where you guys opened good on good, and it was a blitz period. Is that something you’ve been trying lately, or will this be new today, the good on good?

 

JM: No, we’ve done this the past couple of weeks, so it’s not much different. Today we’ll do it in the red area, though, because I think that’s a place that we need to do a better job offensively and defensively.

 

Q: What have you seen from Pop [Douglas] the last couple of weeks that’s allowed him to have the level of success in games?

 

JM: Look, he’s one of our best route runners. He can really run any route, and he does a great job getting open. Now we’re finding him, and the quarterbacks are making good throws to him, and he’s picking up a lot of yards.

 

Q: Have you found any common denominators on the penalties? You saw the practice against Philly, where it was a disaster, so many flags. Then it seemed to clean up for a big period of time. It wasn’t that bad at the beginning of the year, and then they’ve come between unforced errors and then guys where you can tell they’re just trying to get back. What’s the common denominator been the last two weeks?

 

JM: The common denominator is just a lack of focus. We’re in the middle of the season now, and to have a penalty on the first play of the game is just unacceptable, and so it’s a lack of focus.

 

Q: Who do you yell at?

 

JM: There will… I will say this. There will be changes for this game. My message to the coaches and the players, really, we want our most dependable players out there that we can really count on. If you’re going to have, pre-snap, post-snap penalties, we can’t live that way. I guess to answer your question, it’s the personnel part of it, like a wake-up call.

 

 Q: On that fast-start period, is that like the top offense versus the top defense?

 

JM: It is.

 

Q: You seem to be doing it a little bit…

 

JM: Yeah, we did it the last couple weeks. Hopefully, obviously didn’t produce what we wanted to, but maybe through doing it again, it’ll work.

 

Q: You mentioned changes this week. Just to clarify, does that mean in the starting lineup, or what are those changes?

 

JM: Yeah, there will definitely be changes in the starting lineup. Look, we’ve got to put the best guys out there that give us the best chance to win.

 

Q: Coach, I know linebackers have played in a tough spot. No Ja’Whaun Bentley, just activating Sione Takitaki. What have you seen from that group recently?

 

JM: I would just say we have to be better. We’re not playing at the level that we need to. Look, Bentley’s not coming back anytime soon, so we need someone to step up in that role. Whether you get that from the linebacker room or the safety room, you just need to have better production out of that group.

 

Q: Jerod, there was a police report filed to do with Christian Barmore in Providence. Are you guys aware of the situation and have addressed it?

 

JM: Yeah, we’re aware of the situation. I had a conversation with him this morning. Like I said, at least for this time here with you guys, I just want to focus on Jacksonville.

 

Q: Jerod, can you provide any update on Vederian Lowe?

 

JM: Look, we’ll see as the week progresses. It’s unfortunate. Again, I would say one of our most dependable offensive linemen going down is definitely difficult. In saying that, we’ll see how the week goes.

 

Q: Do you expect him to be out of practice today? Or is he going to be on the sideline?

 

JM: I’m not sure. I’m not sure.

 

Q: Jerod, second straight year for the organization having an international game. What did you learn about last year’s experience that you’re applying to this week as you guys prepare for this game?

 

JM: I’ll just say the schedule. The schedule as far as leaving tomorrow and making sure the guys are fresh for Sunday. I thought we were fresh last year. We just didn’t play well. So that’s what I learned is just the schedule. It’s tough to go east versus west, but I think we have a good plan.

 

Q: With Vederian Lowe going down, do you guys look to move Mike [Onwenu] back out to right tackle?

 

JM: That’s in consideration.

 

Q: Jerod, what do you remember about 2012 against the St. Louis Rams in Wembley Stadium?

 

JM: Not much. Was that Steven Jackson? 2012. Was that Steven Jackson at running back?

 

Reporter: It was Gronk [Rob Gronkowski] doing the nutcracker spike.

 

JM: Yeah, we won that game. What was the score?

 

Reporter: 45-7.

 

JM: Yeah, it was great. Honestly, I remember more about after the game because we had a good time before we got back on the plane [laughs].

 

Q: This may be more of an Eliot [Wolf] question, but you guys picked up another center yesterday, I believe, off of Green Bay’s practice squad. What attracted you to the guy?

 

JM: Yeah, he has upside. Once again, we look at the practice squad as a place where we want to develop those players. Hopefully they become starters at some point, or rotational players. I did learn left-handed snappers, it’s a little bit different. I never knew that, which I thought was interesting. This guy definitely has potential to be a good player for us.

 

Q: Jerod, the Bills and Jets added Davante Adams and Amari Cooper yesterday. Were you guys in on any of those conversations?

 

JM: Those are conversations that we, when I say we, the scouting department, Eliot and his staff, and the coaches talk about. I would say those teams that you’re mentioning are at different points in that cycle. We weren’t really in on that stuff.

 

Q: Jerod, how do you quantify growth from the first game to the second game, moving forward for a guy like Drake [Maye] and trying to see that progress?

 

JM: Yeah, you know, for a guy like Drake, or really any other player, you want to see him get better in practice. Obviously you get to the game, you want to see the confidence. You want to build off the things from the previous game or the prior game and just continue to erase the mistakes that he made in this past game.

 

Q: When you talk about starting fast, specifically offensively with Drake, will there be any consideration moving forward to try to get him some easy throws to start out to get him into the rhythm of the game? How did you feel like the early portion of the game plan went for him this past week?

 

JM: Well, the past week, we had those run plays. I would also say it was the first time that a rookie quarterback making his first start, you know, the center being here five days, that was part of it. I think you guys, as you watched the film, he got better as the game went on and that was important to see. Once again, hopefully we can build off of that.

 

Q: Jahlani [Tavai] said Monday, when asked about what he saw in the film, he said, ‘we’re pissed off and we have a lot to prove.’ How much do you feel that would resonate amongst the entire group as you get ready for this next game?

 

JM: To me, and I tell the guys this all the time, it’s about that action. It’s no more about like talking about what we need to do. It’s about what we put out there on Sunday.

 

Q: Jerod, when you talk about this being a foundational year and the concept of, ‘we’re going to figure out what we have and then what we have going forward,’ how do you maintain what is a building year when you’re not at a pointless cycle, and maintaining the urgency for the players to, ‘hey, but we need to win now?’

 

JM: That’s the tough balance. I would say, from my perspective, we can win with the guys in that locker room. We just have to go out there and do it. And it starts this week against Jacksonville.

 

Q: Jerod, you’ll obviously see Mac Jones this weekend. I’m just wondering, how much, if at all, did the way things fell apart for him weigh on you when deciding how cautious to be with Drake’s development plan?

 

JM: I didn’t really think about it that way. I think every situation with a first-year quarterback is its own unique situation. I’m good friends with Mac. I think he’s a great guy. Hopefully he turns into a great quarterback. Thanks guys.

 

 

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