PATRIOTS HEAD COACH JEROD MAYO

PRESS CONFERENCE

September 23, 2024

JM: Good afternoon. This morning, I had a good meeting with the team. We recapped the last three games and level set on expectations. I just told those guys, like always, that we have to continue to get better. I tried to put some things into perspective. You have a team that's picked to win the Super Bowl, gets blown out the next week. Right now, it's about who can get better the quickest. That's what we have to do. We have to get back to the fundamentals. When we talk about tackling, running and being able to move the ball, and also takeaways are definitely a huge part of it. The guys are ready to work. They're excited. Today, it's all about NEP [New England Patriots]. It has nothing to do with anyone else. It has everything to do with self-scout and working on things that continue to show up on a game after game basis.

Q: Do you still feel like you guys are searching for your identity, and what type of team you are?

JM: I don't want to jump to conclusions. After we controlled the line of scrimmage throughout the preseason, and on both sides of the ball in the first two games, to sit here and overreact on the third game, and controlling the line of scrimmage, I don't want to do that. I still think we have a tough, physical football team. That's my expectation, and that's also their expectation, to go out there and establish your toughness. In the fourth quarter, hopefully, you have a chance to win.

Q: You mentioned resetting expectations at the team meeting today. One, why is that important to you? And B, what were the expectations that were reset?

JM: That's a good question. Maybe I've misspoke in saying resetting expectations, but just reminding them of what we said all the way back in the spring, on what type of team that we want to be. We went in on a short week and didn't perform the way we wanted to, but it was more of a reminder. I probably should have said it that way. A reminder of what we said we were and how we have to play winning football.

Q: You said that today's going to be all about NEP [New England Patriots]. Does that mean you guys won't be preparing for the 49ers in practice?

JM: We'll sprinkle a little bit in there on the 49ers, but it's about us. It's a bonus day for us. The players are off tomorrow, and then it's a normal week. We leave on Friday, but it's just about the things that continue to show up day after day, game after game.

Q: What's the conversation like with the offensive line in the wake of a game like that? You did say you controlled the line of scrimmage in the first two games. You talked a little bit today about how the pass protection struggled...

JM: It's a very upfront conversation. I have the relationship and so do the coaches with those guys, where you can be very transparent and open. This isn't good enough. I showed on one of my slides this morning just a picture of a mirror. Our job as coaches is to put the mirror in front of the players faces, and remind them what it really is. It's not about your mom, your brother, or cousins telling you it's not your fault. It's all of our fault. Once again, it starts with me.

Q: You mentioned the importance of turnovers. I know Kyle Dugger mentioned in the summer the emphasis on punching the ball on every play. Have you seen that same type of effort, and what can you do to start getting those turnovers?

JM: We've definitely seen that same effort. I would say as a player, no matter what level you're at, turnovers come in bunches. That's how it happens. You get one, and then all of a sudden you're getting three here, four here, but they definitely come in bunches. My reminder to those guys is to keep attacking the ball and they'll come.

Q: On the flip side of that, do you have a philosophy on the offensive side about how you handle fumbling?

JM: That's a huge part of it. It's no secret that Dre [Rhamondre Stevenson] has fumbled the ball three times in three games. Now you become a target. Every single team, not just for Rhamondre [Stevenson], but for everyone who handles the ball. We're all going to be targets until we can show that we can protect the ball.

Q: Do you have an idea if you'll be getting Sidy Sow back this week?

JM: He'll be out there today, hopefully moving around a little bit. We'll see how he responds the next day.

Q: I think you said pregame last week that Kendrick Bourne is making good progress...

JM: Yeah, he's making great progress. He's running fast. He looks good in his routes. When he's ready to be out there, he'll be out there.

Q: On Sidy Sow, if he's healthy, do you expect him to slide back in as the starting up guard, or will Michael Jordan keep that spot?

JM: I'm not sure. It's still early in the season, and we'll just have to see how it goes.

Q: Can you provide an update on Vederian Lowe, in regards to expecting him to be out there, and his status for this week?

JM: With [Vederian] Lowe, it's interesting. He's been in and out of the lineup all the way back in the summer. When we say we'll work these guys out in individuals, all that is good, but you have to see how they present the next day. I wish I could sit here and give you a timeline, but I can't.

Q: Do you expect him [Vederian Lowe] to be out at practice today at all?

JM: I do. He'll be out there. I'm not sure how much he'll do.

Q: Jerod, on the radio this morning, when you were talking about the pass-pro issues, I think you said the biggest one right now is seeing everything through the same set of eyes. Is there a way that you can simplify protections for those guys, or is it really they just need to figure it out?

JM: It's more about reps. The protections that we run, a lot of teams run the same protection. What I showed them this morning, any time you have a free runner through the A or the B gap, it gives the quarterback no chance. We have to be inside-out in all of our protections. If the quarterback can see an edge defender being the free player, then he can make everyone else right, but that hasn't been the case here.

Q: Jerod, I know you had an early B gap pressure that got through, but I think most of the unblocked ones against the Jets were nickel, safety, and a couple edge rushers on those boots. That seems to be problematic as well. Is there one solution or a couple solutions for that?

JM: The boot play in particular, sometimes you have protected boots and sometimes you have unprotected boots. You're anticipating a player to do one thing, and sometimes they change that up. It goes back to those tendency breakers. Those guys, all the other teams, they self-scout as well. We have to get better as a whole. Our screen game has to get better. We have to continue to run the ball and also intermediate passing. We've got to do a better job with that.

Q: Jerod, I think people would be curious about the tone you try to set as a head coach after a game like that one. How would you describe it? Is it patience? Is it urgency? How do you try to convey the message?

JM: I always tell the guys, win, lose, or draw, we have to be ready to change the page. In the NFL, especially early in the season, it's so up and down. No one really knows who's good and who's bad. Even when the schedule release comes out, just because you were good the past year, doesn't mean you're going to be good this year. Same thing, just because you were bad last year doesn't mean you're going to be bad this year. For me, it's always been about changing the page and moving on to the next one. This is why we always talk about, especially at the quarterback position, not getting too high or getting too low. Let's try to handle winning and handle losses the right way and learn from those mistakes.

Q: Jerod, when it comes to containing quarterbacks in the pocket defensively, do you feel like that has been an issue because of scheme-related stuff or more discipline stuff?

JM: I think it's a combination of the two. As a whole, we have to do a better job keeping the quarterback in the pocket. That was one of the last reminders, even with [Aaron] Rodgers, was 'let's keep this guy in the pocket.' He had free roam too many times. We'll get that corrected.

Q: Jerod, what about the middle of the field defensively? In the last couple of games, Seattle and the Jets, they were able to exploit a lot of them…

JM: Some of those were based on zone coverages. When were in man-to-man, we can get on them. When you play quarterbacks or offenses that do a bunch of different things, sometimes zone is the best way to go. We have to do a better job getting to our depth and making them take the check down. We got to go up and tackle those guys. I guess it's a combination of the two.

Q: It seems like line gains have been a pretty big issue for the offensive line as well in the past couple games. What are your thoughts on that, and how do you measure expectations knowing that there's been so many guys in and out of there?

JM: You bring up a great point. Going back to the beginning of training camp… Well, let me go back even further. When you have a good offensive line, it's not about the individuals. It's about those guys being able to pass off those twist games, and going back to seeing the picture out of the same set of eyes. We've had guys in and out of the lineup, and we've got to get some continuity there and go from there.

Q: Defensively, I know you faced three really good quarterbacks. Their numbers, when you guys rush five or more, are all very, very good. Do you see any common themes there when you guys choose to bring real pressure, that, 'this is an issue for us?'

JM: I wouldn't say it in those words. As far as defense is concerned, which has been this way for a long time, we're a game plan defense that spins the dial. Sometimes you can get those big negative plays, and there are other times where we just don't get home. Just marrying up the rush and the coverage, I think that's the more important thing.

Q: You've known a lot of guys in the room for a long time now. I'm wondering how you've seen them react to that game? How do they strike the balance between being pissed off and being optimistic and turning the page, as you mentioned? How do they do that?

JM: It was easy this time because they had three days off, as mandated by the league. You can sulk and be sad about it maybe the next day, but after that, it's time to change the page. I would say the guys came in today with good energy and hopefully that shows on the practice field.

Q: How did you handle days like that as a player?

JM: You go back, watch the film, and have an honest conversation with yourself about how you played. I know a lot of the guys, they did the exact same thing. There was some good, there was more bad, obviously, in the Thursday game. We have an opportunity coming up this week against a good football team.

Q: Jerod, I know that Christian Gonzalez has had some tough matchups so far. What have you seen from him?

JM: A guy that continues to just keep fighting. He may not say a lot, but he has all the skills to be one of the top players in the league at his position. I think he still has room to grow and he's going to be a very good player for us.

Q: You just mentioned that the league mandate is three days off. In terms of setting the schedule for this week, how much is in your hands if you wanted the guys to come in for an extra day tomorrow?

JM: We want to keep it as a normal work week. Those guys, even though I sit here and say those guys are off, they'll still get in their groups and watch film on their own. That's what you want from a team.

Q: Are things going to remain status quo with the quarterback position and how you operate based on what you told us on Friday?

JM: Yeah. Right now, Jacoby [Brissett] is still our starting quarterback. Even after the game, I watched that film the whole way back home. I got in early in the morning and still felt the same way. We have to support him across the board as a coaching staff and as players. We have to support him, keep him clean, and hopefully give him opportunities to look for the open receiver.

Q: Any update on Cole [Strange]?

JM: No update there.

Q: Coach, it seemed like offensively, you dialed back some of the pure drop-back passing game on third downs, obviously. Is it realistic knowing you have backups on the line to say, 'maybe we start this progression low to high to get the ball out quicker?' Or do you always want to go high to low to force the defense?

JM: You can absolutely protect the quarterback and protect the offensive line through scheme. I think it's a good question. What I will say is ninety is the short game, always will protect those guys up front. I also think there's a combination. You can't just sit there and try to spread the field horizontally without spreading it vertically. Going back to the run game, I think it's all built off that.