HEAD COACH JEROD MAYO
PRESS CONFERENCE
October 7, 2024
Q: Morning, Jerod. Just heard you on WEEI. You were asked about the quarterback situation. In recent weeks, after a game, the next day when we talk to you, you've reiterated that Jacoby Brissett is the starting quarterback. Today, you didn't go there. I know you said you haven't watched the film. Do you feel like there's a potential for a change?
JM: I've watched the film. I just haven't watched some of the other things. I've watched the offensive and defensive film, for sure. I got to get to the special teams. What I would say is I think I've been pretty consistent. My messaging is that every single week we're all, or I should say every single day, we're all being evaluated. And it's no different now. That's kind of how I see it.
Q: Hey, Jerod. When you meet with your coaches today, do you anticipate talking about the potential of starting Drake Maye and making a change of quarterback?
JM: When I meet with the coaches today, it's about we're in a solution-driven business, and we aren't playing good football. We have to look at every single unit and every single player and figure out how we use this roster to go out there and win games.
Q: Hey, Jerod. While understanding the struggles of the offense aren't on just one person, is making a change at offensive play caller during the season something you'd ever consider?
JM: That's not under consideration.
Q: Jerod, how would you evaluate Jacoby's performance yesterday?
JM: It just wasn't good enough. I thought we played well enough defensively and on special teams to win the football game. Look, as the quarterback, and he understands this, he touches the ball on every single play and we didn't win the game, or score enough points to win the game. I think he would echo that same sentiment that it wasn't good enough.
Q: Hi, Jerod. On the Jabrill Peppers situation, have you heard anything from the NFL about potentially putting him on the commissioner's exempt list?
JM: We informed the NFL and we're still gathering information. I know the team put out a statement earlier today. I'm not sure how the league and how we are going to handle that going forward. We should we should find out some more information over the next few days.
Q: Morning Jerod, hope all is well with you. On the quarterback situation, seeing what Bo Nix is doing, [Caleb] Williams, and what obviously Jayden Daniels is doing, does that in any way make you inclined to see what Drake can do, and particularly that they struggled a little bit early on, and then have transitioned into being effective in the league?
JM: I watch those guys on film. I would say each situation is unique, and so is our situation. I think you hit it on the head. Those guys, it was a little bumpy at first, Jayden Daniels aside, but those guys are playing at a high level. It's natural for fans and for the media to say, 'well, we have a good quarterback waiting in the wings as well.' At the same time, our mentality is how do we develop him? How do we get the guys on the field around him to develop, and move forward from there.
Q: Hi, Jerod. I was just curious, having Jabrill and Kyle [Dugger] out, how do you feel like your safety group with Dell [Pettus], Jaylinn [Hawkins] and Marte [Mapu] stepped up, given that they were without two major forces?
JM: It was very encouraging. Those guys grew up yesterday, so I like the way they played. Hopefully here going forward, they continue to develop at that at that pace. With Dugger's injury, and what Pep's going through right now, we're going to need guys to step up. I thought they did that yesterday. It wasn't perfect, but I thought they played hard. I thought they did what we asked them to do, and it's something to build off of.
Q: Jerod, what did you guys find out about Jabrill's situation? Was the injury report last week, the fact that he was on it, would he have played if it weren't for this situation?
JM: Yeah, I don't want to speculate or do anything like that. He was dealing with an injury throughout the week, and that's why he was on the injury report. Like I said earlier, the team put out a statement about it, and we're still gathering information.
Q: What did you guys find out about it?
JM: He called me the morning of.
Q: Good morning, Jerod. I know you're gathering information. That information, I'm sure, will dictate your ultimate decision. Based on what you know now, would Jabrill be welcome in the building today and tomorrow?
JM: Well, he's not in the building today. He has his appearance and things like that. As we gather information, he can definitely be in the building. We don't know enough to say he shouldn't be in the building.
Q: Is Jabrill's situation something you will address with the team or you have addressed with the team already? What would your message be to them on that front?
JM: Yeah, I've already addressed it with the team. That message is really for the team. What I will say is, all through training camp, all through the season, we talk about situations that happen around the league so we can learn from other people. As we gather information, I think the players need to know about it, and so, we can learn from whatever happened.
Q: I just had a couple of situational football questions. At the end of the second quarter, were you happy with – I don't want to say, 'Were you happy?' – but was that the same thing that we saw against the Seahawks in terms of the two throws? What were your thoughts on that, and then I'd love to ask you about the last play, too.
JM: Those were the – I mean, it was like a carbon copy of that game. What I would say is, our execution throughout the season at the end of the half and the end of the game, they just have to be better. That's exactly what you saw at the end of the game where we ran out of time. Once again, it wasn't the call. It was just that we didn't execute the play call.
Q: On that last play, any thought on kicking a field goal there? You'd still be down 2, you'd have to onside kick. It seemed like you've either got to throw sideline, end zone or field goal, right?
JM: That's right. That definitely was under consideration. I would say with that, our defense, they were pretty gassed at the end of the game, and we made the decision to go for it.
Q: The last one is the delay of games on the punts. Were those both intentional?
JM: Yep. So, one was intentional, and one was not intentional.
Q: Hey, Jerod, do you feel like the offensive line held up well enough to give a proper assessment of Jacoby in the passing game?
JM: Actually, I think they did a pretty good job. Obviously, there was pressure throughout the day, but there were also some pockets that seemed pretty clean. You have to marry it all up as you evaluate. The quarterback spot is like the offensive line: on a per play basis. But I did think they showed some fight yesterday.
Q: Just to be clear on the Jabrill situation, the team was aware of the incident with Jabrill on Saturday morning before the decision that he was downgraded to out?
JM: We knew about the situation the morning of. But once again, he was on the injury report throughout the week because he was dealing with an injury.
Q: I just want to ask you about Kendrick's [Bourne] return at wide receiver and kind of the rotation you used yesterday, and Mike's [Onwenu] moved back inside to guard. Do you feel like you're creating – the problems yesterday notwithstanding, you're creating a better framework if and when the time comes for a change of at quarterback? Do you want continuity on the offensive line, do you want the rotation set at wide receiver, in other words, before you make that decision, if you feel you have to make that decision?
JM: That's a fair assessment, Bob. I mean, I think you're right. I mean, we need to get some consistency across the board for whoever's at quarterback.
Q: Just on Jabrill for a second. How would you kind of clarify his status with the team? Are you taking an approach of presumption of innocence, and therefore, whatever the charges are, he's presumed innocent? How would you kind of evaluate his status?
JM: I would say, not to be repetitive, but we put the statement out there, and we're still trying to learn and get more information. We'll just go from there.
