PATRIOTS HEAD COACH JEROD MAYO
PRESS CONFERENCE
September 9, 2024
Q: I just wanted to start off with the offensive line. Obviously, there's a lot of discussion about them going into the game against Cincinnati. What did you see from them as a group and what are some of the adaptations you felt you made in order to get good pass protection, and a good run game going?
JM: I've been saying it for a long time. I think the whole offensive line conversation has been overblown. Every game, every preseason game, those guys have done a good job moving bodies and establishing toughness on the line of scrimmage. They did that yesterday. I'm not really too concerned with the offensive line. Those guys are going to get better every week.
Q: Jerod, a number of players last night mentioned the training camp that you guys had and the difficulty of it. They felt like they were really ready for that game yesterday because of the struggles that they went through there. As you guys were going through that, did you feel like you had to explain why you were doing some of the things you were doing as the head coach to help them buy into having that difficult camp that you guys had?
JM: That's a great question, Phil [Perry]. I would say, as a coach, from my perspective, you have to artificially put barriers in front of these guys. We always talk about taking the hard route. Yesterday, in the fourth quarter, I heard guys on the sidelines saying, 'take them to the hill.' At the end of the training camp, we would go over to the hill and those guys would run. That's what you have to do. I was so excited, even just hearing that from the players. It meant a lot. That just means taking them into the deep water and all the extra things that we do, it pays off. It pays off in the long term. It's hard for people to see in the short term how that stuff really affects the outcome of games.
Q: Hi Jerod. I just wanted to, first off, say congratulations on the win. First game as head coach. Congratulations. I wanted to ask about that Rhamondre Stevenson touchdown, specifically about Layden Robinson. He had that block to get Stevenson in. I was just curious what you saw from him, specifically on that play, but also just in his first regular season game?
JM: Yeah, there was a point in time during training camp where, not only myself, but I think the other coaches saw it. We said, 'Layden Robinson has an opportunity to be a special player in this league.' He's tough. He'll move guys off the line of scrimmage. He can do it all. His overall effort and mentality is something that, when you think about changing a culture, he's definitely one of those guys that fits into that box. He did a great job. Now, in saying that, it's only one game. We'll see how that continues to progress going forward.
Q: Good morning Jerod. I wanted to go back to just something you said on the radio about always offensively being a run-first team. Just to clarify, is that your approach to this season, or will that be your philosophy so long as you're a head coach?
JM: One thing I would say is we're a game-planning team overall. And one thing Eliot [Wolf] and I agreed on is that Rhamondre [Stevenson] is a very special back. He may not get all the publicity, but this is a guy that can run the ball, fall forward for four yards every single play, catch the ball at the backfield, and is also a very smart football player. You want to get the ball in the hands of your best players, and I would say Rhamondre [Stevenson] is one of those.
Q: Hey Jerod. I saw that Vederian Lowe came in for Chuks [Okorafor] mid-series on the second series. I don't want to make any assumptions about what happened there. Was that a benching situation for Chuks [Okorafor], or why was that change made?
JM: I think he [Chuks Okorafor] has the entire skill set to be a good tackle in this league. I would say during the game, there were some challenges. He had some challenges and some struggles over there, and [Vederian] Lowe came in and did a great job for us. Once again, it's about competing each and every week, and we'll see how this week of preparation goes. He [Chuks Okorafor] may be in there. I'm not sure. We'll just have to see how the week goes.
Q: First off, congratulations Jerod on the win. I wanted to ask you about Joe Cardona. I know you mentioned him briefly on the radio this morning. He came in when you were still playing, and over those last 10 years, I was wondering how did you see his development at not a particularly prominent position, one has to say, both in terms of his performance on the field, but also what he offers off the field as a first-time captain, as somebody who made a big play yesterday against the Bengals?
JM: Yeah, he's [Joe Cardona] done a great job. I appreciate the question. He's done a great job for us all year. We always knew he could snap, even when I was here. We knew he could snap the ball. I would say over the years, you've seen him grow as a leader. This year, obviously being voted on by his peers to be a captain of the team, to go out there and make a big play, it all falls into place. And you guys know this guy has another job as well, so I have nothing but the most respect for a guy like Joe Cardona, who's in the military, and is also a good football player. I would say his leadership over the years, and that's learning from guys like Matt Slater his coaches. He's definitely taken a step forward.
Q: Morning, Jerod. Congrats on the win. After the game, you said that you talk about empowering the players to go out there and play. Just speaking to the defense specifically, do you think that allows them to play fast out there, maybe play with a sense of freedom or a sense of confidence out there while playing at top speed? And is that the goal with that sort of approach?
JM: What I would say is it allows the guys to go out there and really take ownership of their role. I always talk about roles. For me, it's about excelling in your role. Whether that's 50, 60, 70 snaps or five snaps, that's your role. So excel in that role, and as you continue to progress, you'll get more opportunities to go out there and perform. One thing I do believe in, and I know everyone likes to say all these geniuses with X's and O's. Football has not changed since high school. If you played cover three in high school, it's the same thing now. Offensively, if you run power O, it's the same thing now. When you hear about all the, 'this guy's a guru, this guy's a guru,' that's not really what it is. It's about how do you get the guys to understand conceptually what we are trying to do as a unit. So many times, there have been good players where they only know their spot. They only know what they have to do. Give me that average to above average player that is a conceptual learner, and we can do something special with them. That's how I see the game, no matter what the position is.
Q: Good morning, Jerod. You seem to be in a good mood. I wonder why?
JM: It's always good to get a win. It's hard to win games in this league. I thought the guys went out there and got it done.
Q: I know the mantra is to ignore the noise, but it seems like some of your players might have been fueled by the noise. Any chance that you played up the noise to them?
JM: They don't need me to play up the noise, Karen [Guregian]. It's everywhere. I do agree with you. After hearing [Ja'Whaun] Bentley address the team before we walked out, I know they hear it. It could be good or bad, depending on the individual. At the same time, I keep telling these guys it doesn't matter. As soon as you cross the white lines, all the noise has to disappear. I thought those guys did a good job going out there, playing physical. Once again, I would say some of the things that they hear is just simply not true. I try to remind them whether you guys say the offensive line can't block, whatever it is, it's on film. I try to show them those things. We are a tough team. That's your job. I worked in the media, too, Karen [laughs]. Your job as a media member is to put stories out there. With some people being contrarian or whatever, that's your job. I tell those guys, that's their job to write those articles. That's their job to put that noise out there. Our job is to go out here and win football games. Our job is to go out here and play for one another. Our job is to go out here and play at a high level each and every week. I don't even want to get this win overblown. It's one game. From a coaching perspective, our job is to teach these guys how to win. When you won a lot, having that sense of urgency to not fall into being comfortable [is huge]. We won one game. We could easily be here next week if we don't prepare right, if we don't go out there and execute and play right. We could be sitting right here and then, Karen, you know what? You're going to say, 'Jerod, you seem like you're in a down mood' [laughs]. That's my job as the head coach of the team, to make sure that these guys are ready to change the page. We'll wrap up today on the Cincinnati game and we'll move forward to the next game. Win, lose, or draw, that's my mentality. We'll wrap the game up the day after, and then we'll move forward.
Q: Jerod, first time caller, long time listener. I'm enjoying the show. The [Joe] Burrow play where [Ja'Whaun] Bentley popped it out. What explanation did you get from the official on review or rules wise? Was he touched down? Was he giving himself up? I was curious just to tidy myself up on understanding the rules.
JM: I really don't understand that, Mike [Reiss]. I'm looking for clarification too. I'm looking for clarification on that one. As soon as I get clarification, I'll let you know.
Q: Good morning, Jerod. Can you tell me about the job that Jeremy Springer has done? Obviously, that was a good start for special teams, which has struggled the last couple of years.
JM: It was a great start. As we put this coaching staff together, one thing that was on my list as far as hiring was to have energy and passion for developing people. I would say that is [Jeremy] Springer. He's very selfless. He's egoless. I think that's important when you're in a leadership role. To see the guys go out there, playing hard and running out there trying to make plays, I thought it was great. Once again, I would say it's one game. That's my job, to not only make sure that the players understand that it's one game, but also the coaches that it's one game. The balance is letting these guys build, their confidence build, while at the same time, recognizing that you're only as good as your last game.
Q: Jerod, congratulations. I'm curious, especially early on, a lot of four-man rush, dropping seven guys. What gave you the confidence to unleash those four guys? It certainly seemed like the first three drives in particular, [Joe] Burrow was under a ton of pressure, wasn't seeing it very well, and obviously had three three-and-outs.
JM: Yeah, we just feel pretty good about our matchups. Not only on the edge, but also inside. I'm so proud of the guys up front. If you were just to go back and look at their stories. The [Davon] Godchaux's of the world, the [Deatrich] Wise's of the world, the [Jeremiah] Pharms' of the world, guys that literally were on the brink of being out of the league. To go out there and perform that way, it's just a special thing. These guys understand that you're only as good as your last game. But at the same time, to see those guys play with that sense of urgency was great. Through film study and through the coaching staff, DeMarcus [Covington] and the rest of his staff, they did a great job being able to generate pressure by the front four.
Q: Hey Jerod. Congrats on the first win. With this being your first seven-day work week heading into week two, just curious, did the players get a victory Monday today? What's their plan today? And what do the next two days look like for the coaching staff?
JM: Victory Monday [laughs]? It's one game. No victory Monday. The guys are in. Hopefully they're excited to be in. They're working out, we'll go through the film, we'll button this game up, and we'll start to introduce Seattle. I think that's the mentality. No victory Mondays [laughs].
Q: What about with the coaches? What do these two days look like for you guys?
JM: Yeah, just all game planning. We'll wrap up this past game and we'll start game planning for the next game. That's kind of how it works. It seems so much more interesting than what it really is. The schedule is pretty much the same.
