New England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo. Welcome to the club.
You were “Punk’d” by Tua Tagovailoa.
Former Patriots coach Bill Belichick knows that feeling well. Six times Tua messed with his head, with those death-by-thousand cuts slants. As in six for six.
There is a difference. Despite not being able to deal with Tua’s shorties, we know, even with a sketchy ending in his time here, Belichick can coach.
The Dolphins game, in Miami, is not a great barometer. The Patriots history there, particularly in chilly months up here, is very bad, winning only 17 of 60 games in southeast Florida.
Tom Brady’s first start in Fort Lauderdale? He was 12-for-24, 86 yards, four sacks. The Patriots lost 30-10, but at least it was a game for a half, trailing 17-10.
While Patriots rookie Drake Maye had slightly better stats – 22-for-37, 222 yards, four sacks, one interception and one lost fumble – in his maiden Miami voyage, the Patriots were never ever in this one.
But according to people in the know, Maye’s ceiling as a quarterback is high. He can do things, make plays, that most quarterbacks can’t.
He gets the rookie “pass.”
Coach Mayo’s ceiling is up for debate.
The Patriots, really owner Bob Kraft and his son, Jonathan, the key decision makers, have some deciding to do.
The Krafts have six weeks and five games to figure out if Mayo is really “The Guy” to lead this franchise in 2025 and beyond.
Winning in the NFL, consistently, usually has The Big 3 of ownership, head coach and quarterback all being among the best of the best.
Mayo, like Maye, is a rookie and head-coaching rookies deserve time to figure it out. Right?
How do you measure a young/rookie head coach with obvious personnel holes like the Patriots do on the offensive line, wide receiving corps and, as we saw in Miami, pass defense?
Discipline? Fight? Ingenuity? Decision-making? Development?
Because the game in Miami was over before the halftime, with the Patriots dominated, trailing 24-0.
The Patriots committed 10 more penalties (versus only three for Dolphins), which fails the “discipline” category, but they didn’t give up, scoring two impressive touchdowns in the fourth quarter, acing the “fight” part.
Again, the “at Miami” is a different animal. Belichick and Brady had major issues winning there.
But going forward, the Patriots and really Mayo have some proving to do.
I go back often to the 1993 Patriots, under Bill Parcells and rookie quarterback Drew Bledsoe. After their 1-11 start (Bledsoe missed four of those), the Patriots ran off four straight wins to end the season.
We knew something was brewing.
The 2024 Patriots have two games with Buffalo and games with Indianapolis, Arizona and the L.A. Chargers.
Five straight is too much to ask. But how about three wins?
Mayo needs to figure out some things about his team. There is no waiting for a new left tackle or WR1. They’re not coming any time soon.
He needs to prove his mettle as a leader of men.
And leave that Miami game in Miami.
You can email Bill Burt at bburt@eagletribune.com.