Jerod Mayo has never been afraid of saying what's on his mind, whether as a member of the media or now as a member of the Patriots coaching staff (he was a little more closed off as a player, at least with us).
Thus, when the boss man, Greg Bedard, wrote about Mayo rubbing people the wrong way inside the building several weeks ago, I can't say as I was surprised.
Bill Belichick's way of doing business has been so ingrained into the fabric of One Patriot Place that anyone who actually dares offer honest appraisals about anything that Belichick wouldn't is bound to run afoul of the head coach or his people, which there are many, both on the coaching staff and in the football offices. Being secure in who he is and what he's all about, Mayo has not been afraid to step outside those restrictions, if you will.
The fallout from that story led to an insightful exchange with Mayo earlier this week, which I wrote about, in part, here. Again, some within the organization viewed those answers as self-serving. I viewed them as a window into what the Pats or another team would get if they hired Mayo as their head coach.
"When it's all said and done, I think the players understand that we as a coaching staff are trying to put them in the best possible position to go out there execute. And from a coaching perspective, I only want people around me that are going to tell me the truth," he said. "I don't want to be trapped in an echo chamber and things like that..."
Of the many criticisms I've had of Belichick, one is surrounding himself with voices beholden to him in some way, shape, or form. Be it sons on the coaching staff or an ex-colleagues's kid in the front office (Matt Groh), loyalists like Joe Judge or Matt Patricia (a year ago, on cheap deals because they were being paid elsewhere), or even hiring his first-ever draft pick in New England, Adrian Klemm, to coach the offensive line when his first go-round in the NFL led to a quick flameout.
"I would say, even with this locker room now, at least defensively, those guys want transparency, and they also appreciate when you're honest with them," said Mayo. "At this level, there are a lot of yes-men and yes-women around ... from a coach's perspective, our job is to put a mirror in front of your face and really show what you're doing on the field, and hopefully, you can take that out of love ... that's the way I coach.
"Once you build that relationship with a guy, you can be tough on the players. But if you don't have that - I always talk about warmth before confidence. Like at this stage, it was a little different back when I played, like whatever the coach tells you to do, you just go out and do it. This generation is a little bit different where they really want to have accountability, they want to understand the why, and my job is to go out there and tell them what I see on the sideline."
That answer speaks to what defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington told me about Mayo a couple of weeks back, addressing the "power of the tongue" and Mayo's ability to reach his players. In speaking to several guys on the defensive side of the ball, there is a joint agreement that Mayo is indeed a "leader of men."
Whether Mayo continues to do that here - in an elevated role - or brings that important characteristic elsewhere may soon be decided.
"When I think about when I do get my opportunity - and I don't know when that's going to be - honestly, I'm kind of like a dry leaf blowing in the wind, wherever (it) takes me," Mayo said. "But at the same time, I feel like I'm prepared. I feel like I'm ready. I look forward to the opportunity, wherever that may be."
ALL...OR NOTHING?
We've got some fun on tap Sunday night. Buffalo visits Miami, and the winner claims the AFC East title and the second seed in the AFC playoffs. This is rare. It's only the third time since the merger in 1970 that we've had the AFC East come down to a head-to-head matchup in the final weekend.
The difference here is that the Dolphins have already clinched a playoff spot. Meanwhile, if the Bills lose, there's a chance they don't qualify, which wouldn't go over well in western New York. In that scenario, the fighting Josh Allens would need either a Steelers loss in Baltimore or a Jacksonville defeat in Tennessee.
The Bills had been rolling for weeks until the Patriots nearly stopped them cold at Highmark Stadium. Survive and advance was a familiar refrain in the aftermath, but all parties involved know they'll need to be significantly better in Miami.
Part of the Bills' inconsistencies has been an inability to get the ball to their second-highest-paid player, Stefon Diggs. He has 50 or fewer receiving yards in six of the team's last seven games. His playing time has reduced - to the point where both Gabe Davis and Khalil Shakir are out-snapping him in the previous three weeks - though Diggs hasn't shown up on the injury report.
"It's nothing Stef isn't doing," said interim offensive coordinator Joe Brady on Monday.
"The ball finds the open players," said Sean McDermott. "So Stef continues to work. He's going to be fine, but we have things we need to work on overall as a team, and that's one of them because you can't let your Number 1 receiver go like he has and, in particular, the last few games. We've got, obviously, some work to do."
Meanwhile, Miami suffered a significant blow Sunday, losing edge rusher Bradley Chubb to a torn ACL. With Jaelen Phillips already lost for the season after suffering a torn Achilles against the Jets, the Dolphin's pass rush will be severely compromised against a Bills offense that carved them up in their first meeting this year (Diggs had 120 yards receiving and three TDs in that game).
That follows a trend for Miami's defense. They've been exposed repeatedly by teams with good teams. The Dolphins have allowed 35.2 PPG in their five games versus clubs with winning records. That's the second-most PPG allowed in such games this season, behind only the Commanders (36.3).
"When we are not playing together, that happens," said Miami safety DeShon Elliott. "I think this is a different team than we were when we faced the Bills the first time, obviously. With our preparation, I think we'll be fine. We'll be ok."
FEELING HOT, HOT, HOT
Tis the season for coaching dismissals. We've already had three happen in-season: Josh McDaniels, Frank Reich and Brandon Staley. Feels like Antonio Pierce will be elevated from the interim role in Vegas, but the Panthers and Chargers will look elsewhere once the season ends. Who else should have their resumes freshened up? My thoughts:
- Matt Eberflus. The reporting out of Chicago indicates Eberflus has growing momentum to remain the HC of the Bears for next season. They've gone 7-5 in their last dozen games, and the defense - Eberflus' specialty - has been cooking with gas. The offense? It's a mixed bag, though Justin Fields is also pushing to remain the team's QB despite the number one overall pick on tap. I think Chicago will run it back.
- Arthur Smith. The Falcons have three top-10 draft picks on the offensive side of the ball - Kyle Pitts, Drake London, and Bijan Robinson - yet that unit hasn't found any consistency, mainly because of subpar quarterback play. Owner Arthur Blank has been non-commital, and the most recent league meetings had a number of league folks believing Smith is a dead man walking. I'd expect Atlanta to stay on the offensive side with their next hire.
- Ron Rivera. He's been nothing more than a .500 coach for nearly the entirety of his decade-plus career. New owner Josh Harris is heavily invested in analytics and will likely let his new GM influence the head coach hire. A lot of rumblings in league circles about the Commanders poaching a couple of current Baltimore Ravens, defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, and director of scouting Joe Hortiz to run their program. The Pats should be in on Hortiz, for what it's worth.
- Todd Bowles. If Tampa loses this weekend and blows a shot at the playoffs, I think Bowles will be shown the door. Is that unfair? Yes. He's done a fine job there with a roster that has been in flux, but their inconsistencies will get pinned on someone, and that someone is Bowles. I'd guess that GM Jason Licht would also be on the brink, although getting Tom Brady there and winning a Super Bowl in the Covid season should give him a little more leeway.
- Mike McCarthy. This is a playoff-driven team. I don't think Jerry Jones would dump McCarthy if he wins a game. But if they don't? It has to come into play. This is Dallas' best team in eons. McCarthy's done an excellent job with the offense, but he remains a bit of a trainwreck in end-of-game situations. Could this be a Belichick spot if the Pats dismiss him? He wouldn't have roster control, but that team remains poised.
- Dennis Allen. The Saints should move on. From all I can gather from talking to folks down there and around the league, they won't. Allen is a tremendous coordinator. There is nothing wrong with that. Josh McDaniels is the same. But they haven't figured out the offense/quarterback since Drew Brees fell apart physically. Derek Carr? Really?
- Pete Carroll. I was thinking of a possible surprise. Seattle? The Seahawks might be on the outside looking in when the playoffs start, and Carroll will be 73 years old when next season starts. Would they decide to move on? Seems unlikely.
- Mike Vrabel. There continues to be noise about the Titans' head coach. He's got two years remaining on his deal. I don't see a firing, but could a trade be in play if that's what Vrabel wants? Would ownership choose first-year GM Ran Carthon over Vrabel? Does Vrabel give ownership an ultimatum? Inquiring minds want to know.
LONG LIVE THE KING
As the Titans are about to wrap up a second-straight disappointing season, there could be significant change in Nashville. No, I'm not talking about the head coach (I touch on that below). I'm talking about the face of the franchise, Derrick Henry.
The star running back has a contract that expires at the end of the season, and considering his age (he just turned 30) and mileage (over 2000 carries), it's possible Henry could be playing elsewhere.
"Sometimes you need a year like this to be able to grow, to be able to learn, to be able to reflect," Henry said. "I am definitely going to do that once this season is over. If I wasn't fueled before, I am definitely more fueled now, definitely more hungry.
"Going into this offseason, I am going to attack it as hard as I can. At the end of the day, it is about being consistent and playing at a high level. I am my worst critic, so I am going to be hard on myself regardless."
Henry hasn't been as effective as in years past, but he still surpassed 1000 yards for the fifth time in his career, tying him with the great Earl Campbell for the third-most in franchise history. He's also tops all-time in rush TDs and scrimmage TDs and is second only to Eddie George in rush yards. Point? He can still be a factor, especially for a team with a better offensive line - Philly, Detroit, and Dallas jump out.
Henry has promised to leave it all on the field, and for anyone who's watched, you know that's never been in question. He also wouldn't mind spoiling the Jaguars playoff hopes.
"It would definitely put a smile on everybody's faces, not going to lie," he said. "To go out with a win, it's going to be tough."
Hopefully, the Tennessee crowd will tell him how much he's meant to them over the eight seasons.
NERD NUMBERS
- Belichick (164) is 1 loss away from tying Dan Reeves and Jeff Fisher for the most regular season losses by a head coach in NFL history. Belichick is also 1 loss away from tying Tom Landry for the most combined regular season and postseason losses by a head coach all-time.
- Joe Flacco leads the NFL with 1,616 pass yards and 13 TDs since making Cleveland's debut in Week 13. Flacco has attempted 204 passes in that span (next most: 186 by Patrick Mahomes). Flacco has 4 straight games with 300+ pass yards (longest streak of career).
- Bijan Robinson has averaged 5.2 yards per touch on 250 touches in 2023. That's 4th among RBs with 250+ touches in 2023 (behind Christian McCaffrey, James Cook and Breece Hall).
- Denico Autry (11.5) and Harold Landry (10.5) lead the Titans in sacks. Tennessee is the only NFL team in 2023 with multiple players with 10+ sacks.