Jerod Mayo Stresses Patriots Must Scheme Dynamic Playmaker Into Game

It was a quiet day for Patriots wide receivers in Week 2, especially for one of their most dynamic playmakers.

New England suffered a 23-20 loss to the Seattle Seahawks at Gillette Stadium. Jacoby Brissett threw for a mediocre 149 yards off 15-for-27 passing. Hunter Henry was the biggest beneficiary off the day with 109 receiving yards, but wide receivers combined for three receptions for 19 yards.

It was encouraging to see Ja’Lynn Polk more involved in the passing game — the rookie caught the Patriots’ opening touchdown pass — but DeMario Douglas simply got his cardio in as the second-year wideout went without a target Sunday.

“Yeah, we have to get him going. We have to scheme up some things for him,” Mayo told reporters, per a team-provided transcript. “He’s one of our most explosive players, and that’s on us as coaches to put it together.”

It was a mixed day for the coaching staff when it came to their game plan. New England stuck to its bread and butter by rushing for 185 yards, but the passing game needs a lot of work, especially when it comes to protecting Brissett.

The Patriots will only get so much time to fix those issues as they travel to New York to face the Jets on Thursday in Week 3.