Jerod Mayo Still Finding Ways To Shift Blame For Patriots’ Poor Start

Given how the Patriots season has started, head coach Jerod Mayo should be looking in the mirror just as much as he’s pointing the finger.

Mayo has taken some level of ownership after an embarrassing seven weeks, but Mayo has made it a habit of putting more on his players than himself. Mayo has pointed to the execution of players more than coaching.

Anyone who believes Mayo should take more accountability won’t be pleased with one of his latest assessments.

“From where I was standing, even when you’re in the right call, they’re still not doing their job,” Mayo told reporters after Sunday’s loss to the Jaguars, per a team-provided video. “So that’s on me.”

He added: “It always comes back to execution in my eyes. Just didn’t do it. It wasn’t like a big adjustment that was made or anything like that. We just weren’t making the plays.”

Those gameday comments came after Mayo’s widely scrutinized opinion about the Patriots being a “soft” team. Mayo used the Patriots’ running game and run defense as well as special teams — New England gave up a 96-yard punt return touchdown — to support that claim.

One thing he failed to mention there? Coaching. To the contrary, actually. He doubled down a day later, praising his staff.

“That doesn’t mean we’re out there coaching these guys soft,” Mayo said Monday during a video conference. “I think the coaches do a good job of coaching them hard, and obviously it would be easy if we were sitting here at 6-1 to continue to have that message.

“But, at 1-6, I guess it’s a natural question from you, should we change up our coaching style? Right now, I think that we need to continue to work hard and continue to push the players to get the results on the field.”

Not everyone agrees. Former Patriot Devin McCourty is among those who wonder whether Mayo is doing enough himself.

Mayo was asked that question point-blank on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” on Monday.

“I think I am,” Mayo told the radio station. “In saying that, look, obviously, our record does not reflect that. We are where our record says we are. We’re a 1-6 football team right now.”

Coaching certainly hasn’t helped the situation, and it could be making matters worse. Given the lack of talent on the roster at the start of the season and injuries to surface since then, Mayo and company are all the more important.