The Patriots thought they scored the go-ahead touchdown with just over a minute left in regulation. However, the call on the field was overturned, and Jacoby Brissett's pass to Ja'Lynn Polk was deemed incomplete. New England couldn't find the end zone again and dropped an agonizing 15-10 decision to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday to stay in the AFC East cellar.
As infuriated as New England fans were, Jerod Mayo was more even-keeled about the call when he spoke with the media following the Patriots' fourth straight loss.
"I thought it was close," Mayo told reporters, per a team-provided video. "But it was the correct call in my opinion, but I have to go back and watch the film. I saw the replay live. Just a tough, tough call."
Brissett completed 18 passes for 160 yards with DeMario Douglas being his top target. The Patriots wideout had 59 yards on six receptions in the loss. Mayo avoided answering a question on the separation between Brissett and rookie quarterback Drake Maye, but he did address why he believes the Patriots offense is struggling to complete plays.
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"I don't want to get into like the separation talk," he said. "I will say, Jacoby is out there trying to do what we we've asked him to do from the start. He's taking some big hits and his toughness continues to show up. Execution from the entire offense has to be better going forward.
"... I think it's a combination of things. It's not just one person. It's everyone just going out there and executing. It's not even known what to do. It's all right, a piece moves, we've got to be able to identify that and go out there and execute."
Featured image via Brian Fluharty/Imagn Images