Patriots To Issue ‘Wake-Up Call,’ Make Changes To Starting Lineup

Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo intends to make changes entering New England’s Week 7 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

Mayo teased those tweaks when he addressed the Patriots theme of committing penalties, deflecting which players and position groups where changes will be made.

“I will say this, there will be changes for this game,” Mayo told reporters at Gillette Stadium on Wednesday, per a team-provided video. “My message for the coaches and the players, really, we want our most dependable players out there that we can really count on. If you’re going to pre-snap, post-snap penalties, we can’t live that way. It’s the personnel part of it – like a wake-up call.”

Mayo assessed the penalties as a “lack of focus.” The Patriots were whistled for 21 penalties the last two games, including a pair of costly defensive flags early in their game against the Houston Texans. Fans believed they didn’t benefit from the whistle.

“There definitely will be changes in the starting lineup,” Mayo said. “Look, we got to put the best guys out there that give us the best chance to win.”

The Patriots depart for London on Thursday ahead of their contest against the Jaguars.