Jerod Mayo’s seat apparently is no hotter than it was entering Week 11.
The New England Patriots were plagued by questionable coaching decisions during their 28-22 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. The majority of those debatable calls were on defense with the defensive-minded Mayo and first-year defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington failing to make adjustments against Sean McVay’s staff.
Don’t expect the defeat to serve as the final blow for Mayo or others, however.
“At this point in the season, people around the league believe that this coaching staff is safe,” The Athletic’s Dianna Russini posted on X. “We’ll see if that changes.”
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported last week the organization remains “solidly behind” Mayo.
The Patriots coach to come under the most fire has been offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt. But the much-maligned assistant made strides with his scheme and play-calling in the Week 11 contest and undoubtedly deserves credit for the development of rookie Drake Maye.
It’s a quick-moving business, however, and it would benefit Mayo and company to continue their development over the next two months.