The New England Patriots wasted no time this past offseason in firing head coach Bill Belichick and then immediately replacing him with Jerod Mayo. Long viewed as Belichick’s success and the future leader of the Patriots franchise, Mayo has already found himself on the NFL coaches hot seat this season.
It started before the regular season when Mayo made the decision to name Jacoby Brissett the Patriots starting quarterback. At the time, the decision was viewed as a measure to protect first-round pick Drake Maye from being thrown into the fire in one of the worst situations possible for a starting quarterback.
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The decision backfired quickly. The Patriots started the season 1-6, with their lone win coming in a season-opening stunner on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals. Equally concerning, though, was the fact that the Patriots’ defense ranked 28th in EPA per Play allowed (0.098) and 23rd in Success Rate allowed (45.7 percent).
It represented a massive disappointment after New England finished last season with a top-10 defense under Belichick despite a myriad of injuries to key starters. However, a recent turnaround from the Patriots defense paired with the emergence of May might have changed things in Foxborough.
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According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, many people around the NFL believe that Mayo and the rest of the Patriots coaching staff are safe right now and not in any jeopardy of being fired.
- New England Patriots defense (Weeks 8-11): 0.036 EPA per Play allowed (15th), 44.5% Success Rate allowed (20th), 0.114 Dropback EPA allowed (17th)
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The Patriots defense has at least turned a corner in recent weeks and that’s even with key contributors like Deatrich Wise Jr, Jabrill Peppers, Ja’Whaun Bentley and Christian Barmore sidelined.
Just as critical for Mayo’s job security, Maye is performing like a franchise-caliber quarterback. Since becoming the Patriots starter in Week 7, Maye boasts a 9-6 TD-INT line with an 88.9 rating and a 67.6 percent completion rate. He’s also been one of the most effective runners in the NFL, averaging 9.5 yards per carry
Things could certainly change in the next few months. The remaining Patriots schedule has six games where they will likely be the underdogs, with matchups against the Miami Dolphins (Nov. 24) and Indianapolis Colts (Dec. 1) likely viewed as the most realistic shots at a win. If New England does finish the season on a lengthy losing streak and records fewer than five wins, it’s at least possible Mayo will be replaced with former Patriots linebacker Mike Vrabel.
