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‘He’s in way over his head’: Here’s why more than 500 readers want Jerod Mayo to go
Boston.com readers are calling for the New England Patriots to part ways with Jerod Mayo after just one season.
Boston.com readers are calling for the New England Patriots to part ways with Jerod Mayo after just one season, citing the team’s lackluster record and Mayo’s questionable coaching, among other issues.
“He’s in way over his head and is not treading water … he’s sinking,” reader Gwen G. from Nantucket said.
After losing 13 games this season, New England Patriots fans are losing faith in their team.
Just six years ago, in February 2019, the Pats were at the peak of their success, having secured their sixth Super Bowl title in less than two decades under the leadership of head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady.
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Now, they find themselves among the league’s worst teams with first-year head coach Jerod Mayo, who is facing a steep learning curve.
The team currently holds a 3-13 record, following a demoralizing 40-7 defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers last Saturday. As they approach their season finale game against the Bills on Sunday, Boston.com readers are worried.
“While the record is only a couple of games worse than I expected this year, the types of mistakes the team is making and the lack of improvement from week to week are very concerning,” Boston.com reader T.J. from Nashua, New Hampshire said. “[Mayo] gives the appearance of someone who is hopelessly overmatched,” he added.
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When we polled Boston.com about whether they think Mayo should step down from the Patriots, more than 500 readers responded. Three-quarters said Mayo should resign, while 20% said he should stay. Just 5% were undecided.
Should Jerod Mayo step down as Patriots head coach?
Yes
75%
No
20%
I'm not sure yet
5%
While some readers praised Mayo for his personality, many more criticized his coaching skills, calling him “inexperienced” and “in way over his head.”
“Although he is a very nice person, he has added nothing as a coach; his punt and time-out strategy are the worst in the league; he adds nothing to the offense, defense, or special teams. Move him to the front office and hire Mike Vrabel,” reader Chris from Bridgewater said.
Eddy D. from Maynard agreed, saying, “instead of pulling the Pats out of a nosedive, Mayo steered them into a death spiral. I’ve seen no signs he has what it takes to regain control.” He reiterated the call to bring Vrabel in to lead the Patriots.
While many readers called for Robert Kraft to tap Vrabel as the new head coach, it remains to be seen if Kraft and the Patriots will replace Mayo.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano said New England will probably keep Mayo around, as one year is not enough for the Pats to fire him.
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Readers who called for Mayo to stay agreed with Graziano, saying a year is simply too soon to call it quits on Mayo.
“He’s only had one year, and one draft to build the team that he wants. At least give him one more season to build an offensive line and get a few good receivers. If we don’t see any improvement next year, then yes, he needs to go,” Jan from Watertown said.
Below, readers share why Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo should or should not step down from the franchise.
Responses have been lightly edited for grammar and clarity.
Should Jerod Mayo step down as Patriots head coach?
Yes
“I wish I could say not to step down. I don’t believe he has the trust from the locker room to be head coach. I said a couple years back that Belichick should have been fired and Sean Payton should have been hired. If the Krafts are serious about a championship team post Brady/Belichick, they need to attract quality free agents while they pay high taxes in Mass. Mayo isn’t the answer, unfortunately.” – Kieran C., Abington
“He has shown through this season that his senior coaching inexperience has cost his team in both in-game decision-making and roster development. The team has not progressed through the season, it still makes too many mental mistakes and is not disciplined (too many self-induced penalties). His overall decision-making is too conservative, does not show enough situational awareness and trust in his team. These traits have not shown any improvement across the games from the beginning of the season.” – B.B., Plymouth
“Absolutely not ready to be a head coach. While the roster is weak, we are over-blaming the roster for the on-field performance. It is much more about bad coaching.” – V.T., Quincy
“Mayo will not step down, but the Krafts should fire him. Mayo has shown no signs that he currently has the ability to coach an NFL team. He doesn’t know how to manage a game, his communication skills have appeared horrible (requiring him to constantly walk back comments he has made, throwing Alex van Pelt under the bus, saying he would bench Stevenson – and then starting him, etc.), his team repeatedly made the same mistakes all year, the team seemed to digress – all of which will make it impossible to attract experienced, capable coaches to offset his deficiencies. The Krafts have to admit they made a mistake and relieve Mayo of his responsibilities. However, I do not believe that they will do that as it will cost them significantly.” – Dan H., Gloucester
“The NFL is a production-oriented business and Mayo has not produced. He’s a good person and has a positive relationship with his players, but he’s an NFL coach not a summer camp counselor. The team has regressed under Mayo and has consistently demonstrated poor technique and discipline. What has Mayo accomplished in his first year with the team? It’s hard to find anything. Eliot Wolf and the entire front office should also step down. Outside of drafting Drake Maye – a move even a casual football fan could have figured out – they have done nothing to help Mayo. Instead, they have loaded the team with wannabes instead of players. What happened to the tough, smart football players who used to represent the New England Patriots? Who is today’s Brushchi, Harrison, Vrabel, or McCourty? You can’t find that kind of player on this team, and they used to have a lot of them.” – J.G., Peabody
“It is not just the losing. That was expected, though maybe not to this degree. It is the appearance of being overwhelmed. His in-game decision making seems tentative and certainly pregame decisions, like benchings and un-benchings lack decisiveness. And that has filtered down to player confidence. If second year players are saying as much in the press, it speaks a lot to the lack of direction the team has. And that lack of confidence will be a deterrent in signing free agents this off season.” – Eric L., Toronto
No
“He needs to be mentored in this role. Bring in an experienced assistant head coach” – Ralph H., Springfield
“Mayo is a first year coach with a rookie quarterback and a weak roster. This team was competitive in a number of games. Let’s let him coach next year.” – J.J., Arlington
“He deserves a fair shot to succeed, and one year isn’t enough time. Let’s give him the offseason and see what he does with it. Next season will come with more expectations and a better roster, if there isn’t a visible improvement fairly early on then it may be time, but he deserves at least that.” – Bryan J., Sunderland, England
“As much as I have seen a disjointed football team, there were 8 games that had a one score outcome. Those eight game losses were more a result of personnel than coaching. We just don’t have enough talent, specifically on the offense and defensive lines. I’m not impressed with the free agent signings or this past draft, either. Having said that, tearing it down again after only one year – even with a Mike Vrabel out there – seems rash of a move.
Let’s give them both another year, but some house cleaning is needed. I do think we need to fire the defensive coordinator and bring in a stud from the outside. I don’t know who but an assistant on a defensive team like the Steelers might be a good look. If we can sign some key free agents and actually spend to the cap, like a Tee Higgins, then draft a few studs, and double our win total at minimum. Then, I think we will be poised to make a run in 26! If we regress further, then yes gut it, and restart.” – Joey D., Boston
“The team is still playing hard, and they’ll have a lot of draft capital and free agent money to use this off-season. There should be some coaching changes and Mayo probably needs his version of Ernie Adams to help with game management. But otherwise, this looks like people thought it would. Note: if they don’t spend in free agency this off-season, then Mayo should consider if he wants to work for Robert Kraft. The Patriots are worth north of $4 billion – if Kraft won’t open his wallet to improve the team, then Mayo might want to get away from Foxboro until a change of ownership.” – Scott, Waltham
I’m not sure
“We love Mayo. Let this drastic mess be his stepping stone to learning. He can learn to take the reins later on. Learn from this debacle. Step back and later on join an organization down the road that actually understands football should be run by football minds. This one has lost its way (i.e., lost Bill Belichick and Tom Brady) and its luck has run out. And take Drake Maye with him to give him a chance!” – C.S., Freetown
Boston.com occasionally interacts with readers by conducting informal polls and surveys. These results should be read as an unscientific gauge of readers’ opinion.
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