The Patriots wrapped up their first week of regular season game prep on Friday and, after a long offseason loaded with changes, they're at last ready to match up in a real game and get the season underway.
For new head coach Jerod Mayo, it will be a special day when he realizes a lifelong dream of being an NFL head coach. After a busy spring and summer of jumping into his new role with both feet, Mayo will now lead his Patriots into a tough conference battle against an excellent opponent. But for the head coach, it's not just about him, it's about the men that he will be leading.
"I feel like I'm built for this as well, I feel like I'm walking into my calling," said Mayo. "This is what I've told you guys since my [first] presser: it's about developing people. I want those guys to go out there, play well each and every snap and win a bunch of games. But I also want those guys to really be resilient when times are tough. That leads to the post-football career. If they're able to deal with adversity and things like that when they're done playing, those skills transfer."
It will be a departure from what Mayo was used to as a player, when he burst onto the scene, earning the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year honor and going on to an impressive eight-year career that included two Pro Bowls and an All-Pro nod.
While Mayo has been back in football since 2019, this Sunday will be a special one.
"Sundays for me are just one of those times where you have a three-hour block of just, it's all about football, and everything else really doesn't matter," said Mayo. "Oftentimes we look at these guys as just football players, but they're men, they're fathers, they're husbands and all those things. To me, it's just one of those opportunities where nothing else matters. It's a very special feeling."
Ultimately getting the win is what matters most and the coach and players seem to be on the same page as to how they get it.
"We just want to go out there and play clean football, go out there and make plays, running the ball, passing the ball, and go out there and get the win for sure," said Tyquan Thornton in the locker room on Friday afternoon, a sentiment echoed by by Mayo earlier in the day.
"Our expectation for the game is to go out there, play good football, play with good fundamentals and win."
Practice Report
Sidy Sow was the lone player missing from Friday's practice as it appears he will miss Sunday's game and leave a hole to be filled at left guard. Veteran interior lineman Nick Leverett and practice squadder Michael Jordan are the top candidates to fill in, while Jerod Mayo confirmed during his press conference that rotation is likely to be a big part of the gameplan.
"I mean, [rotation along the offensive line] is under consideration," said Mayo. "I think you have to – once again, everyone has their own level of conditioning. So, if someone's tired, then we'll get them out."
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