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Bill Belichick digs at ‘questionable’ decision by Jerod Mayo, Patriots during Seahawks loss
"That was a big three points they picked up there with some, let's say, questionable clock management."
Bill Belichick is seemingly featured in every avenue of consumable media so far this football season. But, the future Hall-of-Fame head coach has largely remained mum about his former team, besides giving Keion White some high marks for his Week 1 performance against the Bengals.
That changed after Jerod Mayo and New England came up short in Sunday’s overtime loss to the Seahawks, Belichick doled out some criticism about the Patriots’ new coach during Monday’s “ManningCast” on ESPN.
While discussing Monday’s Eagles-Falcons matchup with Peyton and Eli Manning, Belichick harped on the importance of the Falcons getting a chance to score before halftime, pivoting to a dig at Mayo and New England’s clock management.
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“We saw several games this weekend where that was really a factor, certainly the New England-Seattle game where Seattle scored right before the half, ultimately took it into overtime,” Belichick told Peyton Manning and Eli Manning, as transcribed by WEEI’s Brian Foisy. “That was a big three points they picked up there with some, let’s say, questionable clock management.”
New England’s miscue on Sunday allowed Seattle to tack on some critical points in what eventually was a three-point loss at Gillette Stadium.
New England’s final drive of the first half came with 1:28 left on the clock. With the Patriots starting on their 8-yard line, running out the clock might have been the best available option for Mayo’s team.
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But after putting together a two-yard run, Jacoby Brissett threw two incomplete passes, with New England forced to punt the ball with 35 seconds left on the clock. Seattle, gaining favorable field position and three timeouts, pushed down the field and connected on a field goal just before the half, giving them a 17-13 lead.
It was a poor gameplan from Mayo and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, one that loomed large over an eventual 23-20 loss.
“I made a decision, and it’s a decision that I have to live with,” Mayo said Monday. “I’m willing to take the consequences either way. All of those key decisions, whether it’s to take the ball going into overtime or not taking the ball, those are all things that can change on a game-by-game basis and also the flow of the game.”
With more learning curves to be expected from Mayo and his staff in his first season as head coach, it won’t come as a surprise if Belichick has more stern comments about New England moving forward.
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