Beantown Rundown: Jerod Mayo's time in charge of Patriots is off to a great start

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Times have changed quite a bit for the New England Patriots as of late. Gone is their legendary duo in Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, and with them, the wins that the Pats racked up time and again for the better part of two decades have disappeared too. Jerod Mayo was brought in to replace Belichick as the team’s new head coach this offseason, with the hope being that he can help restore New England to their former glory.

The hiring of Mayo, who had been New England’s linebackers coach since 2019, and their de facto defensive coordinator since 2022, was met with a bit of pushback by fans. Some folks didn’t want to see Belichick leave, while others thought an external candidate, such as Mike Vrabel, would have been a better fit for the team than the unproven Mayo.

Replacing Belichick was going to be a tall task for whoever got the job, and Mayo has had his fair share of critics early on during his time in charge. Yet through two games, he’s managed to make the Patriots look competent, which is saying something after the 2023 campaign, and it’s clear there’s reason to believe he can build New England back into a Super Bowl contender.

Jerod Mayo pushing all the right buttons for Patriots early on

Expectations for Jerod Mayo weren’t exactly high heading into his first season in charge given the lack of talent the Patriots currently feature. Their offense is devoid of talent, as they feature a patchwork offensive line and very little playmaking talent around their quarterback. The defense is in better shape, but there’s a chance they’ve already lost two key pieces in Christian Barmore and Ja’Whaun Bentley for the season.

And yet, through two games, New England has been far better than they were in 2023. They pulled off a shocking upset victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1, and suffered a tough overtime loss against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2. Given the way their game against the Seahawks played out, you can make a case the Pats should have won that game too.

Nobody is expecting New England to be a playoff contender, and while it’s probably better for them to lose as much as possible this season in order to further aid their rebuild, you can bet Mayo and company have no interest in abiding by that theory. These guys want to win, and in the process, they have created a game plan that gives them their best shot to get a victory every time they take the field.

Through two games, the Patriots have done precisely what they have needed to do to give themselves a shot to win. Offensively, they have leaned on their run game, where Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson have formed a strong duo so far. Defensively, New England is limiting their opponents on the ground, while creating pressure on opposing quarterbacks, and playing tight coverage to make their lives difficult.

New England isn’t going to be involved in many shootouts, but if they can limit their opponent on offense, and play turnover-free football on the other side of things, they will be competitive at the very least when they take the field. After watching the 2023 campaign, that’s more than enough to keep reasonable Patriots fans happy given the state of the roster.

Again, it’s only two games, but fans shouldn’t undersell the impact Mayo has had on this team. As the 2023 campaign unfolded, it was clear Belichick’s message was not getting through to the team. Sure, their defense put up a valiant effort throughout the year, but their offense was so out of whack that it never really mattered.

Mayo is leaning into the team’s strengths in a way Belichick refused to towards the end of his tenure. New England does not have the personnel to carve teams up through the air, so they aren’t trying to do that. Mayo and company know what they have in Jacoby Brissett, and while their passing game obviously needs to be better, they aren’t trying to go out of their way to fool their opponents, which is really the only option you have when your roster looks like New England’s does.

That extends to not playing rookie Drake Maye right out of the gate, despite the fact it he may already be better than Brissett. Looking around the rest of the NFL, fellow rookie quarterbacks in Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Bo Nix haven’t really done much to inspire folks through their first two outings. Maye certainly could stand to benefit from playing, but as of right now, sitting him behind Brissett and letting him develop is the best strategy for all parties involved.

It may not have be a popular move, but Mayo knows it’s the right one. He’s not afraid to buck conventional wisdom, such as when it comes to giving Maye 30 percent of the first team reps in practice throughout the week. New England obviously wants to win everytime they take the field, but they also recognize that they are building for the future at the same time.

Jerod Mayo had some early hiccups through training camp, but through two games, he’s done an admirable job of preventing the Patriots from becoming a local version of the Carolina Panthers. There is still a ton of work for him and the rest of the coaching staff to do moving forward, but the early returns are encouraging, and there’s reason to believe that New England’s rebuild could end up being completed ahead of schedule.

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