Devin McCourty: This has been Jerod Mayo’s ‘biggest blunder’ this season
"I think the biggest thing everybody always talks about is what is said after the game and then what is going to be said the next day."
Jerod Mayo has had a rough first season as head coach of the New England Patriots.
While few expected the Patriots to be a competitive roster this fall, New England has regressed in several areas — especially on the defensive side of the ball — en route to a disappointing 3-11 record.
Not only has the execution and discipline on the field left lots to be desired, but Mayo has regularly made life difficult on himself due to ill-advised remarks to the media.
Whether it be calling his players “soft” after a loss to the Jaguars in London or seemingly throwing Alex Van Pelt under the bus for his play-calling on Sunday in Arizona, Mayo has drawn plenty of headlines for all the wrong reasons with his postgame comments.
Even though Mayo has regularly walked back or clarified his comments in the days after his press conferences, it has often led to distractions and lingering narratives that have hampered the Patriots during an already trying year.
As such, former Patriots captain Devin McCourty stressed on MassLive’s “Eye on Foxborough” podcast this week that the top growing pain for Mayo this season has been letting his postgame frustrations carry over into his comments to the media.
“I think he’s trying to figure things out. I know it is widely talked about,” McCourty told MassLive’s Karen Guregian. “And I think the biggest thing everybody always talks about is what is said after the game and then what is going to be said the next day.
“And I would say that’s probably been his biggest blunder of the season: Trying to figure out and control your emotions and everything right after a game, to be able to address the situation, address what happened, whatever it is that goes on. And maybe you don’t hit it exactly where you want, but you’re somewhat in the ballpark that you don’t have to be different or say something different the next day.”
Even though the results have left a lot to be desired both on and off the field for New England under Mayo’s short tenure, McCourty stressed that his former teammate is the type of individual who will make sizable improvements if given a chance to build upon the experience he gained in 2024.
“It’s not perfect. It’s a little off here. It’s a little off there. And that shows up, to me, with the team,” McCourty said. “I think it’s a combination of him being in the first year as a head coach, but also the staff is not like this staff that have been together or only plucked a few guys here and there. It’s a lot of newness.
“And within that, you’re figuring out a lot of new players, you’re figuring out how you guys are going to bond as a staff. And to me, that has showed up a little bit when you watch them that it’s not always cohesive, it’s not always moving in the right direction. And to me, it’s kind of what you would expect.”
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