HEAD COACH JEROD MAYO
Postgame Press Conference
Sunday, November 24, 2024
JEROD MAYO: My message to the team was look, this is the NFL – just wasn't good enough. First quarter, zero points across the board and then give up 24 points in the second quarter definitely is a hard pill to swallow. Then look, we saw some fight at the end which is encouraging, but at the same time this game, every single play, every single play counts. I thought we gave up too many big plays defensively. Did a better job in the run game. Gave up too many big plays tackling, scheme, whatever you want to call it. Just overall execution defensively just wasn't good enough. On offense they did some good things, but any time you lose a turnover battle it's always going to be a tough game. Then special teams, we just have to continue to improve on that. The last thing I told the guys, it's all about us – and this is before the game – I said it's about us. It's not about anybody else. It's about us and to make a commitment to one another, and that's what the game really came down to. It's us going out there kicking ourselves in the butt or stomping our toe against the wall because of penalties. We don't have a team -- I don't think any team wants to go backwards in any cause, but we did that today.
Did you get a sense this week in practice that something was off, or did you not have a good week?
JEROD MAYO: No, not at all. Not at all. I thought the guys were locked in, just didn't walk away with a win.
On the coverage breakdowns, we're not used to seeing that from this team historically, so what's the cause of it?
JEROD MAYO: Historically or even this season. Just a lack of communication. A lack of communication.
Six presnap penalties in the first half -- five on offense, one on defense. How much of that is a reflection just on the coaching?
JEROD MAYO: Look, it starts with me. It starts with me. We've had these hiccups of games where the penalties really affected us, and it did today.
Do you think that first drive -- the first sustained drive in the first quarter, the two penalties brought it back, and then you kind of went conservative in the middle and then went for the field goal. Did you feel like things stalled out there? How much did you --
JEROD MAYO: In the first quarter? To me in the first quarter you see us trying to get a vibe for the game, how they're going to play us and we're going to play them and how they're going to match our stuff.
How concerned are you that this was a big spot for you coming off a loss, division game, and you came up flat today?
JEROD MAYO: Yeah, we came out flat and it's a long season. It is a long season, and the guys recognize that. You know, when you get the schedule early on, you have to see where the bye week is. In saying that, look, no excuse from me, and hopefully no excuse from the players. We just have to be better.
Defensively where do you go from here?
JEROD MAYO: For me nowhere but up. A lot of that stuff going back to the big plays, it starts there. The defensive line and the run game, I don't think that was a problem this game. It was just the big plays.
You've been there done that before as a player, but how do you coach a guy that keeps making the same mistakes over and over and over again? How do you get to that guy?
JEROD MAYO: I mean, that's where we're coaches. We have to find a solution, whether that's -- you have to figure out what lever to pull to get a guy going. Sometimes, look, it can look good during the week and then you get into the game, and it's a surprise.
They went up-tempo just like they did in the says first matchup, was that them trying to stress your communication when you said it led to the breakdowns?
JEROD MAYO: I wouldn't say so much. Tempo is always difficult. Those guys come out with one-word plays, and he with just have to -- I felt like we were on the same page out on the field if that's what you're talking about.
It seemed like both tackles were struggling today, but specifically you decided to pull Demontrey Jacobs in the fourth. Just what went into that decision there?
JEROD MAYO: Yeah, he was having a tough game. Whether it was penalties or blocking the edge, he was having a tough game. We've got to protect the quarterback. As an offensive lineman, that's what we do. We protect quarterbacks and we have to open up holes for the backs.
Was there a reason you chose to take out Demontrey and possibly not Vederian? Was there a reason for one over the other?
JEROD MAYO: No, not at all.
How much, if at all, was the health of Christian Gonzalez coming into how things happened?
JEROD MAYO: We saw the injury reported. He was dealing with something. He worked out before the game, and we thought he was ready to go.
On Monday you said, We enough talent in that room to win football games. How do you rectify that with falling behind 30-0?
JEROD MAYO: Yeah, it starts with me. I think it starts with me and getting these guys ready to go.
There was some assignment breakdown it seemed like in the red zone it seemed like. What did you see on those plays.
JEROD MAYO: Absolutely. I mean, it wasn't a secret. They used motion and shifts and things like that to stress the communication, and we just weren't on the same page.
Early in the game first drive, fourth and one from your own 39, any thoughts of going for it there?
JEROD MAYO: The thought was there. Did what was best for the team.
I know it starts with you, but when do you players have to start looking at themselves? You can only do so much. When is on the players?
JEROD MAYO: Look, once those guys cross the white lines, there's nothing I can do for them. There's nothing any coach can do for them once they cross the white line. It's my job to continue to prepare not only them but our coaches to go out here and play better football.
QUARTERBACK DRAKE MAYE
Postgame Press Conference
Sunday, November 24, 2024
In that second possession where you were driving so much and just to have it stalled the way it did --
DRAKE MAYE: I think the penalties hurt us just the whole first half. Hurting ourselves. Feel like we had a chance to move the ball on these guys, and they were pretty good up front. They're a good defense that we faced. Nothing that they did, I think just penalties set us back and kind of put us behind the 8-ball. We just can't do that in this league.
Do you feel like instead of improving you took a step back here?
DRAKE MAYE: I wouldn't say that. Penalties are something that you can control. I think when you see something improving, I think we're making plays, and we have a chance to do some things. I think penalties are something that's not necessarily an easy fix necessarily, but it's more focus and listening to the calls and to the cadence and little things like that. I don't think it's something we're just getting beat and out-talented. I think we're hurting ourselves, and we have a chance the last games to put some good film on tape and find ways to find some wins.
How do you feel about the cadence and the calls for you?
DRAKE MAYE: Credit to the stadium. They were pretty loud at times. I think just being on different cadences, we worked it all week. Sometimes I don't blame those guys up front, they've got a tough job. They have to get off on the snap count and get back there and block some good guys on the edge. I don't blame them for getting off and trying to get a good set. Sometimes those things happen, I just think we had too many I think holds. I think some of them, especially on first down. First down you're getting first-and-20s and second-and-16s, it's just hard. It's hard to pick up first downs to move the ball.
One of the missed connections with DeMario, you kind of looked like another missed communication. What happened?
DRAKE MAYE: I just missed him. Got a chance to put ourselves and go and score and put some points on the board and keep us in the ball game really. More just mad at myself. We caught them in a blitz, the boundary blitz, that really was nobody covering him. So just got to hit him – that's an easy throw, and just missed it.
So much of this year we have talked about learning experiences. Doing this for the first time
on the turnovers, what was your take on those that you learned from going forward on those two
plays?
DRAKE MAYE: Yeah, the fumble, just find a way to protect the football and go down or find a way to
get it out. I think maybe could have spun out of it and kind of reversed out it and maybe could have
escaped it, but other than that, just can't try to -- I don't want to swim move the guy with a football.
That's just bad. Protect the football, preached it all week, and I didn't do that out there. The
interception, trying to check it down and happened to get tipped. I'm not too worried about that.
What about that touchdown to Hooper?
DRAKE MAYE: Yeah, just trying to make a play and put some points on the board.
When you guys are down the way you were, Drake, are you more willing to take risks that
might result in turnovers because you do have to push to --
DRAKE MAYE: I think it's hard. It's hard to balance and try to make plays and keep drives alive. You
are third-and-long or the last touchdown was fourth-and-15. Just trying to make something happen,
give us a little light. It ended up happening. Gonzo put us back in the ball game and then go down
there and turn the ball back over. So tough and frustrating. I know we have better football ahead of
us, and this wasn't our best product today.
You have won a lot of games throughout your life. How are you handling the struggles right
now?
DRAKE MAYE: It's tough. Any time you are losing, I think -- like I've always said, I hate losing more
than I really like to win. Losing sucks, and I think just -- I told some guys, just remember this feeling.
Remember this feeling of really getting our butts whooped today, and it's only up from here. We
have a bright future and bright players in there that are going to make some plays for the Patriots.
Do you think it would have been different if you get a touchdown in that first -- it's the
second possession, but in the first sustained drive? Do you think back to that you think it's a
whole different game if we score there?
DRAKE MAYE: I think so. Maybe. It's easy to say it's a whole new ball game and go and score 14-7.
That's a lot better than punting it away and making it 21-0, so yeah.
ADDITIONAL PLAYERS
WR KENDRICK BOURNE
Q. How do you assess what happened?
KENDRICK BOURNE: Just a bad start, slow start. Let them jump on top of us. Just got to start faster, compete out the gate.
Q. How do you change that?
KENDRICK BOURNE: I think it starts with practice. Just practicing better, starting faster in practice. I did feel like we had a good week, but we just have to come out with more energy.
Q. You're an energy guy obviously. Did it feel like the team had -- I'm talking about defense,
special teams, motioning out, and on the sidelines. Not saying guys weren't in it, but you're
down by a lot. It's tough sledding.
KENDRICK BOURNE: Yeah, it's tough so we just have to come in wanting to play. Just finding it within individually. We have to find it individually and then have that show collectively. So making plays, celebrating making plays. The little things that help us get into the game. So we just have got to want it more, and just starting slow didn't help.
Q. Were there more shots down the field and guys were on you guys a lot--
KENDRICK BOURNE: Yeah, they did a good job. Dolphins did a good job. Good scheme over there. We just have to make the plays too. We're beating ourselves. That's really what it comes down to also. We could definitely say, Do other things, but penalties and starting from first and 20, getting a second and 15, it's tough to play like that.
Q. Just not taking enough big shots?
KENDRICK BOURNE: Exactly, so it's tough. I feel like we fought better at the end. Gonzo made a
great play, brought some energy in. Big plays bring energy, so just have to make more plays.
Q. Do you feel like those big plays, do you feel like Drake is the guy to make them?
KENDRICK BOURNE: Yeah, absolutely. That play with Hoop was phenomenal. Drake competes, and that's what you love to see. We all make mistakes. We all are not going to be perfect, and his resiliency and to keep going, that was just another impressive play by him. I didn't even see Hooper, and he did. So him running, extending plays helps give us life, and it gave us life in that moment and then Gonzo makes another huge play, and we in the game. After that we have to drive again and try to get more points so we can have a chance to come back.
Q. It's the kind of thing, maybe I'm overthinking it, but that receivers around the league notice
those kind of plays, right? You guys are aware of what quarterbacks can make those kind of
plays. Do you think Drake is letting the whole league know or receivers out there that --
KENDRICK BOURNE: Yeah, absolutely. He's putting the league on notice. I love playing with Drake, so I can see the potential. So if anybody else can't see it, I don't know what they looking at. We know what he's going to be, and I'm just proud of how he competed and proud of how everybody fought and just kept going. But you saw from our main leader that he competes until the end no
matter what the score is.
Q. Can you take us through the throw back, the pass across the field? What was the design of
that play? Was designed to go to Rhamondre?
KENDRICK BOURNE: Yeah, it was just bad execution. I couldn't really see him, but I need to throw it higher, you know what I'm saying? My QBR is down now, but I just need to throw it to where he can get it to. Just not on the same page. Personally on my end I couldn't see him, but I still could have put it higher in the air to where he would find it. I kind of like threw it to the lineman's feet, and then I could have probably ran it too. So just making a better decision in that moment, but definitely tried to move everybody left so we can go right, get a screen.
Q. How disappointing was not getting points on that first sustained drive, the two penalties on
the same play and then eventually missed field goal?
KENDRICK BOURNE: Yeah, that was tough. We love that we can play like that. Definitely want to finish on the drive, but even just to get points is tough. That definitely killed our energy too. We're working hard, it doesn't pay off. So we kind of get down on ourselves, so just got to be resilient and finish the drives.
TE HUNTER HENRY
Did you feel like it was a bit of a step back this week? Are you a little disappointed?
"Yeah I mean obviously what we put out there was not good enough at all. I felt like we were turning the right
way the past few weeks. Obviously, the wins aren't there, but just felt like we were playing better football and we just didn't do that in the first half at all. We put ourselves behind the 8-ball and just had to play from behind and play catch up pretty much the whole game."
What's your sense of fixing penalties, pre-snap penalties especially?
"I don't know if I can put my finger on it now. I think it's just that each guy has to lock in a little bit more, especially on the road. It wasn't crazy loud, there's a weird kind of buzz in here always, but it definitely gets loud early in the game and we just need to lock in better. Guys need to really lock in on that cadence a little bit more. We're young too, so I think there was some of that a little bit. Like early in the game, you're trying to get a jump on the snap, you're ready to go, you're fired up, so I think just our focus early in the game, getting ready to go."
It's a tough balance for the tight ends when the tackles are struggling one-on-one to keep one of you guys in because you developed a nice rapport both you and TE Austin Hooper with QB Drake Maye because you want to be deployed in route. It's kind of a catch 22.
"Yeah it's kind of a little bit of both. You've got to find ways in the scheme to do different things. I mean obviously, we want to help those guys up front. Especially when you get behind, those guys are going to pin their ears back play the pass a lot more, so any offensive line makes it tough. We're always there to help those guys. We've got a good front, we just need to play ahead on the chains, play ahead like play our style of ball a little bit more. We're playing from second-and-long and third-and-long, so that's always tough."
What do you look for when you see Drake handling losses he's not accustomed to losing. What's your impression of how he's managing with some of these struggles?
"He's doing great. I mean this is a humbling league. It really is, and you learn a lot from it. Each year, each game, each practice, each week, we learn a lot about ourselves. So there's going to be a lot of growth in these times too. A little bit of growth from everybody, I'm still growing nine years in. It's never an easy pill to swallow losing in this league at all. But these losses are going to come and we just didn't play good enough today, and we've got to give credit to the Dolphins as well."
S KYLE DUGGER
What were the Dolphins doing to get the guys open a lot? Certainly in the first half, it seems like they were throwing at will and you guys just couldn't track them down. Was it just too much speed?
"No, I would say we just weren't communicating the right way. That's basically just beating ourselves, it doesn't have anything to do with them. They are who they are and they are talented, but a lot of the issues in the first half was us beating ourselves and miscommunicating, things like that."
Defensively, what do you guys do now going forward?
"Forward – we go forward. We watch the film and get better. There's not anymore, we're not going to run and hide. We have to go forward, we have to get better, we have to be honest with ourselves, each individual, and then have that accountability and just keep grinding."
Are you confident that everybody in this locker room can be honest with themselves?
"Yeah I am. But at the end of the day, I have to be responsible for myself and if I'm able to hold other guys accountable in my position, I'll do that as well. But I am confident they will be able to do that."
CB MARCUS JONES
Is it tough to play a lot of man when a lot of the guys are dealing with some stuff?
[Kyle Dugger] has got the ankle, [Demontrey] Jacobs got shoulder, [Christian] Gonzalez this week got stuff, too.
Is it tough to play man when a lot of guys are nicked up?) – "It is one of those situations to where
we put a lot of man-to-man on film so team's every single week, they're ready for man so they do a
lot of man beater so it is one of those situations to where we have to know what is going on and just
communicate. Communication helps out with everything, so if we communicate we should be able to
handle it."
And did you feel like the preparation's there, you mentioned the motion you talked about it. Do you feel like the meetings and everything, you all rested and just kind of came down to execution at the end of the day?
"Yeah, it comes down to execution at the end of the day basically almost everything they've done today ended up on film so a lot of situations were execution, we didn't execute as much as we needed to."
Waddle, in particular, how did they take advantage of the matchup and the skills?
"It was great throws and great catches at the end of the day and then also what they do is they make sure to get their players the ball quick as possible so a lot of screens and everything. So you know their schemes this week and this game actually works."
At halftime what was that conversation like? It seemed like obviously in the second half you guys were more competitive. Were there adjustments or what happened?
"Yeah, every time there's halftime we always address, just talk at us and just told us basically we are not playing our football
right now which we weren't. And we needed to come back the second half and do one play at a time. Everything can add up to something to where we can make the W (inaudible)."
How do you fix the penalties? You guys were flagged, a tremendous amount today.
"It comes down to discipline. We have to play the game as it's being played. If the refs call certain penalties, it
doesn't matter. They called it so we have to adjust from there."
When it comes to discipline most people can hear that and say it's the coaching and all those things. Do you feel like Patriots Head Coach Jerod Mayo is putting you guys in the positions to be more successful and where is the disconnect here?
"He always puts us in the right spot to be successful when it comes down to it at the end of the day, they all kind of had their plans for us. It comes down to us doing what we have to do and doing what we need to do."
CB CHRISTIAN GONZALEZ
We saw you before the game working out, stretching, working with the medical staff. Where are
you physically?
Was that an easy call for you to play? Walk us through it.
"I was just feeling a little tight, but I mean, you see I'm good. I played the game. I'm good, I'm ready to go.
Where did you see them give you guys the most trouble?
"I think they came out with their game plan, they started fast. They started really fast, and we didn't match our intensity defensively. They came out and hit their goals."
Would you say that you shadowed Tyreek Hill in this game or were you kind of still on the boundary mostly?
"I was with Tyreek."
Can you take us through your score?
"We were in a zone call so I can have eyes in the backfield. I saw he kind of messed up the snap a little bit and then I believe it was Marte Mapu that came and hit him. I saw the ball on the ground, picked it up and ran."
I would like to know about your feelings in being the first Colombian in the NFL to score a touchdown?
"That was the first? I mean that's pretty awesome. Glory to God, glad I'm able to put on for the country of Colombia."
Did you feel like that one got away from you fast? You had a sustained drive, missed field goal in the first quarter as you watched the offense play. Did it feel like they just got so much momentum after that?
"I can't speak for the offense. Defensively, they came out and scored, I think on the first three drives. We didn't start fast enough, so we were also putting too much pressure on the offense, going down multiple scores and for them to go out there, that's hard on them."
Did the injury happen in practice on Friday?
"Next question."
You guys had played four competitive games entering today. Today obviously didn't feel like it was as competitive just watching it after the first quarter. How big of a step back is that to you or is it just sort of not every game is going to be competitive?
"Props to them, they came out and like I said earlier, they hit their goals, do what they had to do. We never want the game to not be
competitive. We always strive to make the game competitive. It wasn't today, but it's a game - it's not going to affect how we finish out the season. We still have five more games that we are able to go out there and compete and do what we have to do as a defense."
Entering the game, you played 98% of the snaps. Obviously you worked out before the game trying to make sure you were able to go. How much pride do you take in the availability and working through what you were working through to get there?
"I take a lot of pride. Not to go back, but I mean last year was the first time I ever got hurt. Not being able to be out there with the
team last year hurt a lot mentally, so from that point I always want to be on the field to help the team as much as I can."
You came early today, earlier than normal?
"Yeah, to work out."
