FOXBORO, Mass. — Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo landed in some sizzling water for the way in which he described his workforce final Sunday.
“We’re a delicate soccer workforce throughout the board,” the 38-year-old rookie head coach mentioned following a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. “You discuss what makes a troublesome soccer workforce, and that’s with the ability to run the ball, that’s with the ability to cease the run, with the ability to cowl kicks. We did none of these as we speak.”
Mayo had a way more optimistic evaluation following Sunday’s gutsy win over the New York Jets, nevertheless.
“I don’t suppose I’ve ever actually questioned the resilience of this workforce,” Mayo mentioned. “I’m not going to return to these (delicate) feedback. I’ll say, we’ve a room full of men with the mentality that you just received to alter the web page day by day. On daily basis is a brand new day.”
The Patriots couldn’t have accomplished a greater job displaying their resilience, as they had been examined at each flip.
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New England obtained some robust information previous to the sport, with security Kyle Dugger being dominated out together with his ankle damage after giving it a go throughout pregame warmups. Marte Mapu, Jaylinn Hawkins and Dell Pettus stepped up in his place, and received sport balls for his or her troubles.
Drake Maye — , the rookie quarterback whose well being ought to be the membership’s prime precedence — was top-of-the-line gamers on the sector to start out, however finally was knocked out of the sport after simply three drives with a head damage that got here by means of a helmet-to-helmet hit that didn’t even draw a flag. Jacoby Brissett stepped in and led two landing drives — together with the game-winning sequence that was capped off by Rhamondre Stevenson’s plunge into the tip zone.
“I feel it was a very good win, preventing via adversity. We received a problem earlier this week; the blokes got here out and responded effectively,” Brissett mentioned. “Clearly with the ability to come within the sport and guys rally round me and assist make performs. We clearly pushed it in on the finish to attain the win. I feel that was the embody of a number of issues all through the season. Simply hoping this can be a snowball impact, begin of one thing particular.”
Kayshon Boutte had a horrific begin, dropping his first two targets instantly after admitting that he demanded extra alternatives from the teaching workers. The Patriots entrusted him to reply, and that’s precisely what he did with a pair of big catches on the game-winning drive.
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“It’s not — there’s not a ball that I can’t catch,” Boutte mentioned. “My greatest factor after a drop shouldn’t be getting in my head, as a result of I do know it’s a play I could make. I simply put it out of my head and transfer on; like I mentioned, there was two drops early on, however it feels nice to make a catch with the sport on the road.”
New England was additionally on the unsuitable finish of a number of calls, even for those who don’t embrace the private foul on their rookie signal-caller. Christian Gonzalez, Christian Elliss and Marcus Jones had been all referred to as for defensive cross interference, whereas Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers was allowed to spike the ball into the bottom with out an eligible receiver in sight with out being referred to as for intentional grounding.
It simply didn’t appear to matter
The Patriots had been lacking their quarterback and one among their greatest defensive gamers, made routine errors through the early portion of the sport and had momentum stripped from them at a number of factors on account of suspect officiating… however they weren’t brief on coronary heart.
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It’s most likely too early to say that Mayo’s squad displayed the makings of a troublesome workforce, however there’s little doubt they’ve confirmed resilient.
