The Patriots Responded Well To Jerod Mayo

By Steve Atkinson 

After Jerod Mayo criticized the New England Patriots as being soft following their loss to Jacksonville, the players took that personally. They were determined to prove they could be a tough football team. Mayo got the response he was looking for, as the team performed well and secured a victory over the Jets on Sunday. However, true to form, Bill Belichick didn’t give Mayo any credit for the win or the team’s strong response. Instead, he focused on the Jets and only acknowledged the contributions of players he drafted: Jacoby Brissett, Stevenson, and Boutte.

Following the Patriots’ Week 1 victory against the Bengals, Belichick appeared on multiple podcasts and said nothing about the team. When the Patriots went on a losing streak, he then lamented their struggles and expressed sympathy for the players Mayo had labeled as soft. Now, after beating the Jets, there was still no acknowledgment from Belichick regarding how the team responded to Mayo’s comments. Petty—that’s the word that comes to mind for Belichick.

Belichick Doesn’t Credit Mayo As Predicted

If the Patriots do go on a little run here will Belichick and his buddies Matt Patricia and Michael Lombardi give Mayo any credit? Probably not they’ll divert to the opponents.

Jerod Mayo and The Patriots have found a quarterback

It seems the Patriots have found a quarterback they are looking to develop properly. Drake Maye appeared to be having a great day until he exited the game due to a concussion. He was making plays for himself, scrambling out of the pocket, and executing some strong runs. Maye isn’t the problem for the Patriots; rather, he represents a positive sign for future success, assuming they field receivers who can catch the ball.

It’s also clear though the Jets are still the Jets even with Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers looks like he’ll be going into his cave in the woods soon. He has talent around him and he’s not even close to what Brady was in Tampa. Looks like this is it for Rodgers on this swan song type of season for him. He goes out gets his head coach fired then gets DeVante Adams and they still suck. Rodgers should hang it up.

Unfortunately, the Patriots’ receivers seem to struggle with their hands. Boutte, Bourne, Thornton, and Douglas all had passes go right through their hands. This made Boutte’s crucial catch at the end of the game even more significant.

“We’re excited to get back in the win column and to secure a win here at home. We faced a good football team yesterday that presented various challenges, as I mentioned on Friday. Anytime you’re up against Aaron Rodgers, you need to put in a complete four quarters, or even more if necessary. I’m very proud of how the guys responded, but after watching the film, it’s clear we left some plays out on the field.”

The Patriots are set to take on the Titans and could potentially start a winning streak. Hopefully, Drake Maye can come out of concussion protocol and play, but Jacoby Brissett stepped in admirably after Maye’s departure. Like many, I thought the Patriots would lose after Maye went down.

“Of course, you never want to see a player go down. We’re all hopeful Drake gets back soon. It was a good win, and we fought through adversity. The guys responded well after I came in, and we made plays together. We pushed hard to score and secure the victory. This could be the beginning of something special for our season.”