PATRIOTS HEAD COACH JEROD MAYO
PRESS CONFERENCE
November 1, 2024
JM: Good morning. Alright, as promised, Michael [Reiss]. Look, I always tell the players, nothing more important than practice, and the show teams definitely help us with that. It doesn't matter if you're a starter or if you're on the practice team, they make contributions for the opposite side of the ball. Caleb Jones, Joe Milton, Eric Johnson, John Jiles, Mitch Wilcox and Mark Perry were our practice players of the week last week, which kind of leads me into this week. I thought the players did a good job changing the page and trying to correct the mistakes that we've made throughout the season. They went out there with great energy. I think as a team, we need to have energy, especially from the start of the game. This is a fast-start team that we're playing, and so we need to make sure that we're ready to go. Fortunately, look, it's daylight savings time. We gain an hour there and then gain another hour because it's central time, right? Central time. It's really kind of like a 3 o'clock start for us, which is kind of awkward, but I think the guys are – they'll be ready to go and excited to play. I would say I was especially proud of the way the receivers responded throughout the week of practice, just the extra work that they put in in the classroom and also on the football field. They had a great week of practice. We did 1-on-1s this week, they went out there and competed. They caught the ball well, and hopefully that transfers over to the game. So, we're excited to see what those guys can do and excited for really just us as a team to learn how to string them together. That's ultimately our goal. I know a lot of questions will be probably about Drake [Maye], and I'll just tell you guys just so I can save you guys from having to ask the question. He is still in the protocol. So, he is still in the protocol and going through that process. So, he'll be limited. He has been limited this week so far, but he'll be limited today as well. Fire away.
Q: With him still being in the protocol, is it possible with where he's staying in the protocol right now that he'll be ready by Sunday?
JM: Yes.
Q: How has the week gone? We asked you earlier about the uncertainty at that position and how the offense might have to be tweaked depending on who's in there. So, how have you guys handled it through two days of practice?
JM: I would say the one thing, it's not a massive difference like having just the ultimate scrambling, Michael Vick quarterback versus the ultimate pocket passer. It's not that big of a contrast or difference as far as game planning, but there are certain things that we've had to tweak, and those guys have handled it well. Not just at the quarterback position, but I think all of the guys – the offensive line, receivers, tight ends, running backs, they're all in tune to what we have to do no matter who the quarterback is.
Q: How have you seen Joe [Milton] develop over the course of the year, particularly when it comes to handling the scout team role?
JM: Joe's done a great job. I would say for Joe, he's a natural leader first and foremost. He gets those guys going, which is great. Obviously, he has all the skill set and tools to go out there and make all the throws, but I would say just from his mentality and leadership evolution or progress, I think he's doing a good job.
Q: How tough of a matchup will this be for the passing game in general? I know the Titans have the No. 1-ranked passing defense in the NFL.
JM: Overall, this defense is good. Well, very good. They're top five in a lot of categories. What I would say is at least for those guys, it starts up front. They are very good up front. [T'Vondre] Sweat and obviously [Jeffrey] Simmons are very disruptive players, and so we're going to have to do a good job tying in the protection, the route concepts and the quarterback play to neutralize that. In saying that, no matter who the quarterback is, I think we just can't sit back in the pocket. I think we need to move around. You have to change the launch point, whether that's through boots or through drop back pass, 90s, all those things will definitely help us.
Q: Has Drake been able to increase his practice participation throughout the week?
JM: He's been limited. I don't really want to get into all that stuff, but he's still in the protocol.
Q: Are you hopeful that he'll be able to be clear? You said it's possible. Are you feeling like it could realistically happen?
JM: Any given day. Look, any given day, any given player can just wake up with something and not be able to play. So, I don't want to get into the hypotheticals. I will say this: look, if he can't play, then we have enough confidence and faith in [Jacoby] that he'll be able to step in and help us win a football game.
Q: What have you seen from Marco Wilson? It feels like we haven't heard his name called in a while, which is obviously a good thing at the cornerback position.
JM: I would say Marco has perhaps the best feet of any of our corners. He's a very quick-twitch guy. He's doing a good job for us.
Q: On Javon Baker, have you noticed anything different the last week or so, just in terms of his engagement? Obviously, he was given a kickoff return.
JM: The last couple weeks, he's put together great weeks of practice. Now, hopefully he gets an opportunity to go out there and play some receiver. He's an explosive player. We need to see that on Sunday.
Q: You guys have got a lot of numbers just on the roster at that position. The balance between getting a young guy like him in there versus having the experience of a K.J. [Osborn], is that reaching maybe a breaking point where you've got to sort of figure that one out?
JM: It's always tough, wanting to win now and also to develop players. But that's something that we've had to deal with since training camp and earlier in the season. So, those guys do a good job though, preparing as if they're the starters, and we'll see what they can do.
Q: You talked about the receivers and how they responded this week. Could you get into specifics about what you saw from them in practice that translated into them bouncing back and having a much better week?
JM: Yeah, I would say first, there weren't a lot of balls on the ground. I think that was first and foremost, and that goes back to focus. I would also say those guys came out with good energy, knowing that the last week just wasn't good enough. I think we all look forward to those guys going out and putting on a good performance.
Q: Logistically, how late can you wait to make a decision on Drake? Is it something where it's like 90 minutes before the kickoff with inactives, or does the fact that he's in the protocol now impact that decision?
JM: Once he gets out of the protocol, I think we feel he's been cleared by the medical professionals. He'll be ready to go.
Q: Jerod, I wanted to ask you about something that you said at the end of your opening statement on Wednesday. You described what you wanted to see at the end of the year. You want to be a team that no one wants to play at the end. What does that look like to you? What does that mean to you?
JM: To me, it's a team that has progressively gotten better week after week after week. That's what it looks like. We've been on the flip side of that. I remember as a player being on the flip side of that where you're already in the playoffs, but at the same time, you want to make sure you keep it going. That's a lot of pressure. We want to be that team that – I don't know what the records are going to look like, but when those guys turn on the film, they see a team that's flying around, physical, happy to be out there and playing winning football.
Q: When it comes to getting better, when it comes to the run game and the run defense, where did you see some changes in the last game? What things are you still hoping to improve on?
JM: I think it just starts with assignments, first and foremost. Really, it comes down to defeating the guy across from you, whether you're talking about the offensive linemen moving the defensive line or the defensive linemen really using their block destruction tools going out there, getting off blocks and making tackles. It's what we're paid for.
Q: How about Vederian Lowe? He practiced yesterday. Does it seem like he might be able to play this weekend?
JM: He's limited. He'll be limited today as well. We'll see how it goes.
Q: I have a protocol question for you…
JM: I am not the protocol expert.
Q: When a player does have a concussion, does he have to be cleared on Saturday, or can he be cleared on Sunday? How does that work?
JM: I wish I knew. I'm not the protocol expert. That's a Jim Whalen question, not me.
Q: Going back to Vederian Lowe, has he shown to you when he's been on the field that he's somebody who could be a left tackle for you guys long term?
JM: Absolutely. One word to describe him – I've used this word in the past – is steady. You don't want to hear his name called. That's a good thing.
