Patriots

“I think the biggest thing everyone always talks about is what’s said after the game and then what’s said the next day.”

Jerod Mayo had a difficult first season as head coach of the New England Patriots.

While few expected the Patriots to be a competitive squad this fall, New England has regressed in several areas – particularly on the defensive side of the ball – and suffered a disappointing 3-11 record.

Not only did the execution and discipline on the pitch leave something to be desired, Mayo also regularly made life difficult for himself by being ill-advised when dealing with the media.

Whether it’s calling his players “soft” after a loss to the Jaguars in London or seemingly pressuring Alex Van Pelt over his play call Sunday in Arizona, Mayo’s postgame is for all the wrong reasons Lots of headline-grabbing comments.

Although Mayo regularly walked back or clarified his comments in the days following his press conferences, it often led to distractions and persistent narratives that hampered the Patriots in an already difficult year.

That’s why former Patriots captain Devin McCourty emphasized on MassLive’s “Eye on Foxborough” podcast this week that the biggest growing problem for Mayo this season was allowing his postgame frustrations to carry over into his comments to the media .

“I think he’s trying to figure things out. I know there’s a lot of talk about this,” McCourty told MassLive’s Karen Guregian. “And I think the main thing that everyone always talks about is what is said after the game and then what is said the next day.

“And I would say that was probably his biggest mistake of the season: trying to figure out and control his emotions and everything right after a game, to be able to deal with the situation, deal with what’s happening is whatever is happening. And maybe you don’t hit it exactly where you want it, but you have some confidence that you don’t have to be different or say something different the next day.”

Although the results of Mayo’s short tenure with New England left something to be desired both on and off the field, McCourty stressed that his former teammate was the type of person who would make significant improvements if given the chance He gained experience in 2024.

“It’s not perfect. It’s a bit out of the way here. It’s a little off. And to me that shows with the team,” McCourty said. “I think it’s the combination of him being in his first year as head coach, but also the staff not being what it was, being together or just picking a few guys here and there. It’s a lot new.

“And you get to know a lot of new players and find out how you will stick together as a team. And looking at them, I realized a little bit that everything doesn’t always hold together and doesn’t always move in the right direction. And for me, it’s as you would expect.”

Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.