Mayo, who has finally overcome the knee injury that set him back in 2009, already has set a career high with 143 total tackles, brushing aside his 139-tackle rookie season of 2008. Mayo also is the first member of the Patriots to record three consecutive 100-tackle seasons since safety Lawyer Milloy did so from 1997-2001.
Mayo, the Patriots’ defensive captain, is on pace for 208 tackles this season, which would be the second highest single-season output in Patriots history, trailing linebacker Clayton Wieshuhn‘s 229 tackles from 1983. (Mayo would need to average 17.4 tackles over the next five games to reach 230 for the season. He has averaged 13 tackles through his first 11 games.)
But since tackles are about much more than numbers, NESN.com reached out to Patriots Hall of Fame linebacker Steve Nelson, who is considered one of the smartest and most instinctive players to ever set foot in Foxboro. Nelson’s 207 tackles in 1984 are the second most in a single season in Patriots history, so he can relate to Mayo’s hot streak.
Here is a portion of NESN.com’s conversation with Nelson.
NESN.com: What impresses you about Jerod Mayo?
Steve Nelson: “You can tell right away he’s a really good football player, really smart. I think his production is in that he plays all three downs. He’s a three-down linebacker, which also tells you he’s very good in coverage, so he’s a complete linebacker. He’s just very active. Most of his tackles are right around the line of scrimmage, where you want the tackles.
“There are a lot of things that contribute to making a lot of tackles — the offense running the football — but in this case, that’s not necessarily true. The Patriots have had leads, and teams have had to throw the ball. So he’s kind of made all these tackles in spite of not having the best conditions, which really shows you how productive he is. He’s active, a good tackler, he’s tough, has great technique, all those things.
“And that 3-4 defense is made for inside linebackers, especially when you’ve got a nose guard like [Vince] Wilfork. He can control two guys at the line of scrimmage, which typically frees up one of the inside linebackers. Some of [Mayo’s] success has come from the great nose guard play.”
NESN.com: Do you see any similarities between his game and your game?
Nelson: “Oh, I don’t know. He might not be quicker, but he’s faster than I am. His man coverage is probably better than mine was. I don’t think there’s any question about that. I think there are some similarities.
“He gets the calls from the sidelines. He makes the calls. I think that helps anybody when they’re so involved in getting the calls, gaining the huddle and directing the huddle. You have to know what everyone does, and I think that really helps you as far as being involved in plays. That is working out well for him. It also shows the great confidence the defense has in a young player that they put him on that right away.
“I think he’s a terrific player, and he’s been relatively healthy now. He’s played with nicks. He’s got all the intangibles. He’s real important to this football team, not only now but in the future because he’s one of those guys, even though I’ve never met him, he’s probably great in the locker room. He’s played in programs that have won a lot, so he knows what it takes to win. I’m sure coach [Bill] Belichick probably would not have drafted him as high as he did not knowing all of the intangibles that he brought to the board.”
NESN.com: Bill Belichick once noted that Mayo is so impressive because he changes the direction of a lot of plays, forcing the running back to head toward a different gap, for instance. Is that the mark of a great linebacker?
Nelson: “Oh, it is. That gets back to knowing his responsibility. He’s not one of those guys that thinks he has to do it all. He understands team defense, and if everybody plays like that, he’ll get some tackles because other players will make the running back adjust and go to him.
“When a coach says that, it’s typically because a player is playing well but not really getting a lot of tackles. But this shows you what kind of player he is. That type of comment from coach, and also being productive on the field, he’s a good one. He’s got great instincts. He’s one of the reasons the Patriots are still pretty good on defense, although they’ve been giving up a lot of yards. He is a three-down linebacker, and there are not a lot of guys who come into the league that are inside guys that are three-down linebackers.”
