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Davon Godchaux calls out Patriots fans after ‘Fire Mayo’ chants
"Could have been better class from the fans with the booing and stuff like that."
The Patriots fans still waiting out the miserable final minutes of Saturday’s 40-7 loss to the Chargers made their frustrations clear amid New England’s second six-game losing skid of the season.
With Jerod Mayo and the Patriots plummeting to the bottom of the NFL standings, several “Fire Mayo” chants broke out amid a sparsely-populated Gillette Stadium.
It stood as the latest low point in a season with few positives for New England beyond the promise showcased by rookie QB Drake Maye.
But even if the calls for Mayo’s firing stood as an expected avenue of frustration for fans amid a 3-13 season, veteran defensive tackle Davon Godchaux did not take too kindly to the chants from the stands.
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“I heard it. I get it. [Fans are] pissed off. They pay their money for season tickets and to see the Patriots… A wise man once told me, ‘I’m OK with the Patriots rebuild because I saw success for the last 20 years, so I’m OK,’ but a lot of people can’t take that,’” Godchaux told reporters, as transcribed by NBC Sports Boston’s Justin Leger.
“I know we don’t tank around here. We still want to win football games, but the ‘Fire Mayo’ chants is just ridiculous. I mean, the guy’s first year, first season. It’s not going to be golden. We didn’t expect to go win a Super Bowl this year. I get it. Nobody wants to get beat 40-7. But the ‘Fire Mayo’ chants is just ridiculous.”
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While few expected the 2024 Patriots to be a competitive team amid an extensive roster rebuild, the Patriots’ struggles with discipline, regression on defense, and Mayo’s own self-inflicted miscues during his dealings with the media have further compounded New England’s misery in 2024.
Still, Godchaux believes that Patriots fans went too far by focusing their frustrations on Mayo amid a year where little has gone right.
“Could have been better class from the fans with the booing and stuff like that,” Godchaux said. “It is embarrassing, I get it, but you’re playing for pride at the end of the day.”
Mayo acknowledged that he heard the calls for his ousting during the final moments on Saturday’s game, but shrugged them off.
“You hear those things but at the same time, they pay to sit in those seats. We’ve got to play better and if we play better, we don’t have to hear that stuff,” Mayo said.
Count Maye among those who defended Mayo and New England’s coaching staff after yet another lopsided loss.
“They’re still bringing it every week. I think that’s the biggest thing,” Maye told reporters from the podium. “They’re not quitting, they’re still coaching as hard since Week 1. They’re still studying film as hard. … “So I think the biggest thing is you don’t see those guys quitting. The score may not tell it today, but those guys are still wanting to win, we’re still leaving it all out there every week.”
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