FOXBOROUGH - In a season that has missed the mark on many levels, the Patriots' defense has been a bright spot in an otherwise gloomy campaign. That's a credit to the players, most of whom have remained engaged, but also to the coaching staff, in particular, the two men who oversee that unit: Steve Belichick and Jerod Mayo.
Those two have a unique dynamic that initially puzzled those inside the building - with Steve calling the plays but Jerod running most of the meetings. But now, it makes sense because the two men have made it make sense.
Their relationship was born many years ago, when the eldest Belichick son was working his way up the football ladder and Mayo, a former first-round draft pick, was dealing with yet another injury.
"Those years on IR, I spent a lot of time with Steve just in the dungeon," Mayo told me. "We call it the dungeon, and we would go in there and break down film and just talk ball. You know, hearing it from him, a coach's son, or a coach's perspective - one of the greatest head coaches' sons - hearing it from that perspective. And then I brought the on-the-field perspective, and even back then, like we're talking 2013-2014, we just had a connection. We kind of spoke the same language."
That bond has made this, shall we say, co-parenting of the defense easier to understand. The results certainly back up this approach. The unit is third overall in rushing yards allowed and has recently surrendered just 44 points over the previous four games. The fact that the Pats have won only one of those contests speaks to more significant issues we've discussed here for months. Still, it shouldn't lessen the impactful nature of this defense.
"I think that we just try to be positive a lot, trying to have a good time," said Belichick. "But we also - there's, you know, you gotta be serious. We're here to do a job, but at the same time, I think we both feel like - not speaking for him - but if you make learning fun, make this stuff fun, then you can get a little bit more out of guys. Then, when you come in here, and it feels like a rain cloud over your head, we try and bring a little bit of positive energy, and like I was saying, I think that we just bounce ideas off each other, where we see it the same but we verbalize it differently. I love working with him."
"When we gameplan and when we talk to the players and things like that, it's very natural," said Mayo. "It's very natural, and I love coaching with Steve. I love coaching, honestly, with our entire staff, even though we have one of the smallest defensive staffs in the league (editor's note: shots fired!). But Steve and I have very good chemistry and hopefully that continues."
Mayo and Belichick look at each other as equals despite such different backgrounds. Mayo told me he constantly asks Steve about secondary play, considering that's where the latter started his coaching tree climb. And Belichick took what he has learned from Mayo far beyond the confines of One Patriot Place when I asked, giving an expansive answer that, frankly, I didn't expect.
"I'm not afraid to ask any question (of Mayo). So, why did you do stuff like this? How do you handle stuff like that? And I think that applies on and off the field," he said. "When people say it's time to be professional or grow up and become a professional, I thought he did a really good job of that, observing him. I wasn't working here, but you know, when he was a rookie, he was Rookie of the Year and all that stuff, so not just in terms of playing on the field, but how you operate as a man and as a father and all those things.
"So, yeah, I try to put all those pieces together because, you know, we're in the building a lot, especially during the season, but how do you do things in the offseason? How do you improve on things? What do you focus on improving, or how do you identify the things you want to improve on. So, I think all that stuff, putting all those pieces together, is important because obviously what we're doing here is, you know, the bulk of everything and what everybody sees or evaluates us on, but once you go home and what you do at home, and all that stuff, I think it's important, and I'm not afraid to ask him. He's always honest with me, which I appreciate."
As we appear to be closing in on the end of an unprecedented era in New England (and anyone else for that matter), it's fair to wonder if this unlikely brotherhood is closing in on the last of its days working together in this or any other capacity. If so, while unorthodox, it was one of the few successful elements of the Pats these last few seasons and a credit to both for embracing it. We know Mayo will be in demand (I'm guessing he won't be moving out of state), but what becomes of Steve is very much up in the air. If he remains on staff - unpopular take - then Mayo, or whoever runs the program, will have made an intelligent choice. The 36-year-old is a good coach who has blossomed with help from his eventual Hall of Fame father and his future boss (maybe), and will undoubtedly be fueled to prove he can stand and succeed on his own.