Jerod Mayo was left to do damage control after he appeared to throw offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt under the bus after the Patriots’ loss Sunday.
The first-year New England head coach was asked about the possibility of calling more running plays in the red zone for rookie quarterback Drake Maye following a 30-17 defeat to the Cardinals.
“You said it,” Mayo told reporters. “I didn’t.”
He was asked a follow-up question about whether that task fell on Van Pelt and seemed to accept some blame while also deflecting some to his offensive coordinator.
“It’s always my decision,” Mayo said. “I would say the quarterback obviously has, you know, a good pair of legs.”
Mayo, who coached under and played linebacker for former coach Bill Belichick, walked back his comments during an appearance on “The Greg Hill Show on WEEI” on Monday morning.
“I didn’t mean anything by it. Maybe a flippant response,” he said. “And I tried to clarify that with the next question, saying ultimately, it’s my decision. Ultimately, all those decisions — offensively, defensively, special teams — fall on me. I just wanted to get that out there.”
offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt look on from the sideline during the
second half against the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium. Imagn Images
With the Patriots 3-11 and a frustrated Robert and Jonathan Kraft seen in the owner’s box during the game has raised the question if Mayo’s handling of the situation would further his chances of landing on the hot seat.
“If you’re blaming Van Pelt, your finger’s pointed in the wrong direction,” Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer said on NBC Sports Boston’s “Sports Sunday” of Mayo’s comments.
“And I think that now the score on who the head coach is in 2025 could change. I think a lot of things changed today. And I think you saw the frustration in the owner’s box, the press conference going the way that it did, I think we have to — I think everybody should be on notice now.”
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