PATRIOTS HEAD COACH JEROD MAYO
PRESS CONFERENCE
September 25, 2024
JM: Good afternoon. Alright, look, we're excited to get back on the practice field. We talked about Monday really being about NEP [New England Patriots] and handling things that have shown up over the past three weeks. I thought those guys went out there and did a good job correcting those mistakes with the realization that there will be other things that pop up throughout the season. Now, we're excited really to turn the page onto San Fran, but before we get there – so, we lost one of our captains in [Ja'Whaun] Bentley. He's done a great job for us, both on and off the field, a leader in the locker room, all that stuff. So, we'll be putting Bentley on injured reserve later on today. Now, in saying that, I thought it was important to – just to go back and kind of talk about my experience. As you guys know, there are a few seasons there where I was hurt at the end. Well, more than one. So, I was a captain seven out of eight years, but I remember getting hurt early in the season, and then Coach [Belichick] approached me and said, 'Hey, do you mind if we had another captain?' and I didn't. So, I had a conversation with Bentley, and the same thing with him, obviously not being in the building every single day right now as he goes through the rehab process. But I did ask him; I said that to me, it's important that we still have leadership and representation for that side of the ball. When we did the votes for captain, and once again, this is voted on by their peers. It was very close. It was very close, and I'm happy to announce today a guy that has done a tremendous job for us, has really shown a lot of growth on the field and off the field, and that's Kyle Dugger. So, Dugger is now a captain for us.
Q: With Bentley, is there any hope that he might return this season?
JM: I'm not sure. We'll see how it goes. I don't want to speculate on when he's going to – when he could return or can't return. I don't want to get into that. Thank you, though.
Q: What does Kyle mean to you and this team?
JM: He's meant a lot. His first year he came in, you knew he was a physical player. Small-school guy, so, first of all, that's always a surprise, and he can go either way. But what I will say is, look, he brings that mentality, that physicality that you want on your defense. I would say last year, he had the green dot quite a bit. I think two years ago, he had the green dot quite a bit as well. But he's able to handle the communication, the adjustments, and he's able to get guys lined up. When I talk about growth with Kyle, like his first couple of years – and understanding as a rookie, you don't really say too much. But the first couple of years, it was more like he just would go out there and perform at a high level, but really didn't have much to do with the communication and stuff like that and the development of his teammates. I would say here over the last few years, he's done a tremendous job mentoring those young guys and even the older guys. I had a conversation with [Jabrill] Peppers today, and he talked about how important it was for him to learn from Dugger and Devin [McCourty], and that just talks about his leadership style. It's a little different. It's mostly through just the way he approaches the game. But I would say here as of late, this year and last year, he's been more vocal, which I definitely appreciate. Everyone does know we're still comfortable doing that, but he's been doing that.
Q: Is Ja'Whaun Bentley still going to be around a lot after his surgery and things like that?
JM: Yeah, absolutely. I told Bent [Ja'Whaun Bentley], once again, going through that experience, it really helped me. And it stinks, it really does stink to have to go on IR, but you can still be a productive teammate. So, even when I got hurt, I think you guys know the story of how I started learning how to break down film and do all those things. I look back on it almost as a blessing. But when you're on IR, you're in the storm. It's kind of hard to see what God has planned for you. Those three years that I ended up on IR definitely helped me in my transition to coaching. I think it's important for a guy like Bentley to be around the team, his energy, his passion, all of those things. But also, he'll be on the sidelines because I think from a player's perspective, they see a lot of things, too. To have another set of eyes, another motivator, another guy that can help get us on the right track, I think it's important. So, as soon as he's able to travel and as soon as he's able to be on the sideline, I fully anticipate that happening.
Q: Jerod, this may sound like a big leap, but is there any thought to Dugger taking some of Bentley's responsibilities in the inside and playing inside where he [Ja'Whaun Bentley] won't be able to?
JM: You're saying playing linebacker?
Q: Yeah, like moving over?
JM: We're very flexible. He's done it before. Peppers has done it before. A guy not out there right now is Marte [Mapu], which it'll be exciting to get him back out there. He's another candidate for that role you're kind of talking about. In saying that, Jahlani [Tavai], Raekwon [McMillan] and those guys, they do a good job controlling the front. I think having a guy like Dugger in the back end who has that communication with the linebackers, understands linebacker play, but also can disseminate the information to the sides, to the corners, to the stars, I think it's more important for him to be there. He does rock down. Anytime a safety rocks – here's my nugget. Anytime a safety rocks down to the box, he's really a linebacker at that point.
Q: Do you see any merit to the idea of adding a veteran quarterback to the roster just so you can have full control over when Drake [Maye] plays, as opposed to having your hand potentially forced by injury?
JM: That's not in our plans at this current time.
Q: For Sunday's game, what kind of challenge does this 49ers offense present, especially with some issues maybe with the personnel right now?
JM: Yeah, it's a very unique offense. I know everyone says it falls off the same tree, but all of these coaches – you could throw Mike McDaniel in the category – they all put their own twist on it. I would say with San Fran, you look at it all three phases. Look, obviously, their record's not really reflective of the team that they are and can be going forward. They're dealing with injuries as well. What I will say is the challenge for us is just in the front: offensive line and defensive line. I don't want to sound repetitive, but they are a do-what-they-do type of team, and we know what they're going to do, the fans know what they're going to do, but you still have to stop them. They have a lot of good players on that team, offensively and defensively, All-Pro-caliber players almost at every level if you really look at the roster. So, it's definitely a challenge, and I think the guys – I tell them all the time, look at it as an opportunity to go out there and perform.
Q: Given Rhamondre's [Stevenson] value to the offense, what do you guys want to get done offensively? How do you strike a balance between keeping him out there, wanting him to stay out there and maybe having that conversation with him about the fumbles?
JM: Look, we always say that ball security is job security, and we're all disappointed in really three fumbles, and he understands that. It's definitely a point of emphasis today. We'll go out there and practice in full pads. Those guys need to be hit and need to get hit. I would also say that I have confidence in that room as a whole, not just Rhamondre. I think Gibby's [Antonio Gibson] done a good job. [JaMycal]Hasty's ready to go. He prepares like a starter every week. But we have to take care of the ball.
Q: He's been around for a few years, but is there something that you can do with him? Is it just as easy as getting out there, getting in pads and getting hit, or is it a technique thing?
JM: It's not really a technique thing. Well, I take that back. It is at times. Rhamondre is probably top-five in the league as far as breaking tackles. Now, that's a dual-edge sword. You always want these guys to break tackles and try to make these big explosive plays, but in doing that, sometimes the ball gets loose. We always talk about double in trouble. If people are around you, put two hands on the football. It sounds simple to say, but it is hard to do it sometimes, especially when you're trying to get extra yards.
Q: This hasn't been the easiest start to the season for Jacoby Brissett. How has he done inside the building, and how have you seen him sort of handle himself?
JM: He's handled himself like a true professional. We had a captain's meeting today, and it wasn't like a big kumbaya type of meeting. It was more of a, 'Let's continue to get better each and every week,' and I think that was really the main goal going into the season. I didn't know what our record would be at this time, but our goal was to get better every week. Now, obviously, it was a poor showing in New York, but we'll see what this team is made of going forward. We have a long trip out west, and we've got to be ready to play against a good, solid football team.
Q: Jerod, I know you described them as a do-what-they-do type of team. When you look specifically at their offense with Kyle [Shanahan], what are the kind of chess-match challenges for you, DeMarcus [Covington], the whole defensive staff to stay on top of them? Because they dress up a lot of things.
JM: That's right, and you just hit it on the head. It's a lot of window dressing, but the core concepts are pretty much still the same. Every single play, you're going to see motion, and you're going to see exotic types of motions. They're trying to get you to adjust a certain way, and just – here you go, here's another football tip just in general for the Pop Warner coaches. As they start to build formations, either you move the defensive line in front of you, or the linebackers have to move. Some of that stuff is pre-snap, but don't forget about the post-snap movement as well. So, you have to be able to see the surfaces that they're trying to create.
Q: Having played linebacker at a very high level, what kind of unique challenge is it having a guy like Fred Warner who can do pretty much everything at the position? Because it feels like you don't see elite linebackers very often.
JM: Yeah, look, this guy, he's one of the best in the league, and when you see him flying around out there – and he's a very good tackler. Those guys up front do a good job protecting him, allowing him to do those things, but I have nothing but the ultimate respect for a guy like Fred Warner. I actually, when I first got into the league and started getting into scouting a little bit, I went back and watched some of his film in college just to see, like, 'What did everyone miss with this guy?' because he is such a good player. He can play in space as good as a big nickel. He's a very good player, physical, all those things.
Q: I know you can't speculate on whether Christian Barmore will play again this season, but we've seen him around a bit. Are you able to say whether he's doing any physical activity or working out at all?
JM: Well, look, I mean, he's going by doctors' orders. I would also say I think it's important for a guy like that to be in the building. One thing about the idle mind, you're just sitting at home all the time, that's nothing but trouble. For a young player like that, this is an opportunity – kind of the same thing I spoke about earlier – this is an opportunity for him to learn about football as a whole and not just what a defensive tackle does. So, in saying that, he has projects that he's working on, a bunch of those things, and he's also in charge of Friday Funny. It's like a 30-second, one-minute clip just to get the guys laughing on Fridays, but he's doing a good job.
Q: Jerod, to follow up on Nicole's question from a little bit earlier, is your willingness to stick with the quarterback group the way you have it right now, how much of that is due to what you've seen from Drake in practice? How has he looked in practice?
JM: He's looked good in practice, but once again, it's just practice. You want to get a guy like that, obviously, on the football field, but at this current time – I don't want to go back to that answer – but at this current time, we're just not looking to add any pieces at that spot.
Q: Still 70-30, practice-wise?
JM: Yeah, still the same.
Q: But he's looked comfortable enough in those – obviously, different from a game – but he's looked comfortable enough in that setting that you don't feel the need to go bring somebody else in?
JM: I would agree with that. Let me just go back just to provide clarification. It's 70-30 with the ones. Drake's getting a ton of reps on the show team, and he's approached that process the right way. He doesn't want to know what the defense is doing. He doesn't want to know the coverage. He's going out there, going through his reads, and we talk about that all the time. Just because you're on the show team doesn't mean you can't work on your fundamentals and your progressions, and he's done a good job of that.
Q: So, is he serving as, like, Brock Purdy during the week and Geno Smith and things like that?
JM: Yeah, it's a combination between him and Joe [Milton], those guys, depending on the quarterback that we play.
Q: You brought in Jalen McKenzie and also Caleb Jones on the practice squad. What have you seen from those two to want to work with them? Secondly, we saw Caleb Jones did travel with the team, but he wasn't elevated. How is he looking in terms of being ready to play?
JM: Yeah, those guys, it's hard coming to a team in the middle of the season. They've only been here for a very short time, so it's hard for me to sit here and give you a full evaluation, if I'm being very up front. What I will say is that myself, and Eliot [Wolf] as well, we're always looking for opportunities to get this roster better. We knew that going into the season that has to be the goal, is to get the roster better. Let's understand the processes that have been here. What can we improve on? When you talk about year one, at least for me, that's a huge part of it.
Q: Jerod, we haven't seen much of [Sione] Takitaki, obviously. Is he a player, do you think, to fill in some of the roles that Ja'Whaun Bentley had?
JM: Yeah, 100%. I've watched Takitaki for a while in Cleveland, and he's one of those guys that can line up on the edge, that adjuster role that we talk about and also play off the ball. So, we'll be excited when he gets back.
Q: Have you looked at the development – you talked about the development of Drake a lot since the draft. When you look at the other players around the NFL, [Jayden] Daniels, [Caleb] Williams, Bo Nix and what have you, have you had conversations at all, do you feel you need to have conversations with Drake about those other rookies and kind of be patient?
JM: Yeah, we have conversations about that, but I think you can go the other way with those examples. It's easy to cherry pick a guy who just completed 90% of the passes and say, 'How do you feel about that?' There's also the other end of the spectrum where a guy, I mean, they're not doing anything, whether it's on IR or they're having struggles. So, it's on an individual basis. I will say that he's done a good job staying locked in and preparing as if he is a starter, which I tell all the players to do that.
