Patriots
“I believe it was unfair to educate Jerod Mayo. He by no means had the prospect to develop as a head coach.”
Former Patriots tight-end Rob Gronkowski sharply criticized his former staff for firing coach Jerod Mayo.
Mayo lasted only one season as a head coach in New England. He was fired virtually instantly after the Patriots’ win over the Buffalo Payments in Sunday’s season finale.
The Patriots went 4-13 underneath Mayo this season, which was the identical document they’d final yr underneath Invoice Belichick, who was additionally fired.
Robert Kraft’s determination to fireplace Mayo so rapidly after handpicking him to be Belichick’s successor caught some, together with Gronkowski, off guard.
“I used to be shocked by that, and to occur that quickly was a shocker to lots of people particularly right here on the desk,” Gronkowski stated throughout NFL on FOX. “We had been all stunned by that. I believe it was unfair to educate Jerod Mayo. He by no means had the prospect to develop as a head coach. He was only a rookie himself in that division, and in the event you decide a coach by their first yr that’s actually not acceptable.”
FOX lower to a business earlier than Gronkowski may end his feedback. He was citing a degree about fellow panelist Jimmy Johnson, who went on to win two Tremendous Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys after going 1-15 throughout his first season, when Michael Strahan instructed him the community wanted to go to interrupt.
Belichick, who went on to win six Tremendous Bowls as a head coach, completed 6-10 in his first season with the Cleveland Browns. 4 of his 5 seasons in Cleveland had been shedding seasons. He additionally went 5-11 in his first season with the Patriots in 2000 earlier than teaching the franchise to its first Tremendous Bowl title the next yr.
Mayo didn’t get a second likelihood with the franchise that he spent his total taking part in profession with. Kraft launched a letter to the followers on the identical day because the season-finale explaining the firing. The transfer, Kraft stated, was the most suitable choice to return the Patriots to playoff competition.
Whereas their document was the identical as final yr, the Patriots did present some indicators of regression underneath Mayo.
The Patriots had the No. 1 run protection, by way of yards per carry, within the NFL final yr. They slipped to the center of the pack this season. They appeared sloppy and undisciplined for a lot of the yr with loads of pre-snap penalties. Gamers had a number of off-the-field run-ins with legislation enforcement. Mayo had a number of embarrassing moments throughout press conferences.
However, there have been indicators of enchancment as nicely. The offense, which was working with a patchwork offensive line consisting largely of rookies and journeymen, improved barely. Quarterback Drake Maye gave the impression to be creating nicely. The Patriots beat two groups that had way more expertise (Cincinnati and Buffalo) once they weren’t at their finest.
Nonetheless, the group determined to chop its losses and transfer on from Mayo with out bothering to see whether or not he may enhance with a second yr underneath his belt.
Mayo is the third Patriots head coach to final lower than one season.
Phil Bengtson went 1-4 as an interim coach after taking up for John Mazur in 1972 earlier than turning into the staff’s Director of Professional Scouting. Rod Rust was fired after he went 1-15 in 1990. Mayo is the one one of many three who received a number of video games.
New England probably felt a way of urgency to make a giant transfer after enduring a number of shedding seasons on the finish of the Belichick period and drafting a possible franchise quarterback in Drake Maye.
They acted upon that feeling, and alter got here swiftly.
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