Jerod Mayo Shoulders ‘Blame’ For Patriots’ Ongoing Struggles

Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo has been criticized throughout the last couple of weeks for his perceived lack of accountability.

Mayo must have heard the comments, because he laid it out pretty clearly Wednesday.

“I always take this opportunity to speak with you guys, but with the understanding that I’m also talking to the players,” Mayo said, per team-provided video. “I’m talking to the players — and obviously there are things where I’m talking to the fans, as well — but the message for those guys is that it’s all about the Jets.

“We’re moving forward, and obviously there’s a lot of noise out there, but we are what our record is. We have to get better, and that ultimately is my responsibility. I’ll take all the blame, it’s fine. But we’re moving on to the Jets.”

Mayo has long shared the belief that the team’s overall success ultimately falls on his shoulders, backing it up multiple times before. New England — yes, pretty much the whole region — seemed to take exception to the fact that he called the team “soft” following last Sunday’s loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, however. Bill Belichick even got in on the act, though he chose to leave out a few key details.

The Patriots certainly need to get better, and perhaps Mayo thinks shouldering the blame will help. We’ll see.