It’s been a disappointing season for first-year head coach Jerod Mayo and the New England Patriots.

But even amid the lackluster returns on the field and the growing pains from Mayo on the sideline, the 38-year-old coach was reportedly given a vote of confidence by Patriots’ ownership amid this daunting season. 

“While there hasn’t been a public vote of confidence for the head coach from the Kraft family, Patriots leadership is standing by Mayo,” The Athletic’s Dianna Russini wrote on Saturday. “Just as discussions about the next NFL hiring cycles heat up, team owner Robert Kraft has privately assured those close to him that he’s committed to giving his first-year head coach the time and resources he needs to grow into the role.”

But have things changed regarding Mayo’s standing in Foxborough after a disastrous showing on Sunday against the Cardinals?

After a lopsided 30-17 loss to Arizona coming off the bye week — coupled with Mayo seemingly throwing Alex Van Pelt under the bus during his postgame presser — Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer believes Mayo may be feeling the pressure over the final month of the 2024 season.

“If you’re blaming Van Pelt, your finger’s pointed in the wrong direction,” Breer said on NBC Sports Boston’s “Sports Sunday.” “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.”

Sunday’s ugly showing on the field falls in line with a Patriots team that has been plagued by a regressing defense and an offense hindered by poor O-line play and execution all season long.

But for Breer, Mayo’s comments about the lack of involving Drake Maye in short-yardage run plays and the implication that has for Alex Van Pelt’s play-calling stands as an especially biting indictment on this coaching staff. 

“I’ve covered the league for 20 years, I’ve never seen a head coach do that,” Breer said of Mayo’s postgame comments. “I’ve seen in-fighting between offensive coaches and defensive coaches. I’ve seen in-fighting between players and coaches. I’ve never seen a head coach do that. 

“You guys know how much I think of Jerod Mayo and his potential as a head coach. That was one of the worst moments I’ve ever seen at the podium from a head coach. He threw his offensive coordinator under the bus.”

Even though Mayo walked back his comment during his Monday morning video conference with the media, Breer believes that the damage was done as soon as the head coach fueled speculation over who is exactly calling the shots on offense. 

“If Jerod Mayo thinks that you should be running the ball with your quarterback in that situation, you say that in a coach’s meeting two or three weeks ago,” Breer explained. “You do not say it up at the podium like that. You are responsible for your entire coaching staff. You’re the one who hired them. You have to take accountability. You can not demand accountability from anyone else in that building if you shirk accountability in a situation like this.”

The road won’t get any easier for New England to close out this season, especially with two of the team’s final three games set against a legitimate Super Bowl contender in the Bills. 

But even if the Patriots aren’t exactly favored in any of their final three games, Breer believes that the manner in which New England and Mayo conduct themselves down this final stretch could have serious consequences once the offseason begins. 

“I think now, and again I haven’t heard this, but I think now all bets are off,” Breer said of any potential job security assured in Foxborough.

 

Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.