Bedard: Jerod Mayo isn't getting overthrown, but he badly needs a win over Dolphins

FOXBOROUGH — For all the hyperbole tossed around this week about Jerod Mayo and the Patriots, the simple fact remains that there's nothing better for a football program than a win.

And, boy, does Mayo need a win today against the hapless Dolphins.

If that happens, the waters around the Patriots will calm and they can go about their business of trying to right the ship and begin an upward trajectory for this program.

If it doesn't, if the Patriots lose again at home, this past week will look like a picnic to Mayo and the players. The heat will really ratchet up. They'll likely get booed off their own field - multiple times.

Is Mayo in danger of being tossed overboard? No, that's silly just four games in. But I do think it's fair to ask if the coaches are not getting through to the players, and to examine the ramifications of that.

This is football. This isn't baseball or basketball, where singular players can and often do determine wins or losses. Gameplans need to be followed or things can veer off course. All 11 players need to execute every play precisely as it's drawn up, or disaster awaits for that play, drive, quarter, half and game. That's why football is rightfully viewed as the truest of all team sports. And there's something beautiful about it because you don't need to be the most talented team to win a game, although that certainly helps. The team that executes the best and most consistently, especially in crucial situations, will win that game. That's why it's so lazy and misses the big picture when they just say, 'Well, the talent on this team stinks so they have no chance.' Or, 'Look at the line, what did you expect?' And, 'This season was over before it began with what they did with personnel.'

That's nonsense, and the lament of bad coaches. A good craftsman never blames his tools. And if you're a good coach, you can make anything work enough to hang in the game, and one break could tip the scales in your direction.

The Patriots largely did that for two games. Midway through the fourth quarter against the Seahawks, I was ready to craft a love letter to Mayo and the coaches for the job they were doing. And they would have deserved it. Beating the Bengals on the road and (potentially) beating a good Seahawks team at home ... that's some good stuff right there. They were coaching their asses off.

Since then, it's gone the other way. The Patriots have been largely noncompetitive in two-plus games since then. Don't blame that on the lack talent or the quarterback. That's lazy and too easy. Don't let them off the hook. If they were geniuses in the first two games for making this lack of talent work, they are responsible for the opposite.

The Patriots' coaches got the required 100 percent buy-in to possibly win the first two games. They have not in the past two. Pass rushers are freelancing selfishly at an alarming rate. The secondary keeps having coverage busts and giving up big plays. The timing of the offensive line, a must for effective play, has gotten worse with each passing week. The quarterback is seeing the field worse and worse.

That's coaching. At best, it's not effective. At worst, the players don't trust the coaching.

Add in that teams now have film on the schemes and tendencies from Alex Van Pelt and DeMarcus Covington, it's up to the coaches to not only coach up their players, but offer some sort of counter. That's the job description. Yeah, the talent isn't great on this game, but the coaching has not been good enough either. Both can be true, and often they are.

There are also rumblings that offensive players are increasingly disillusioned with Van Pelt's scheme, and there's a disconnect on defense between the newer coaches and long-held beliefs of this scheme, and things are teetering.

None of the players are yet clamoring for Drake Maye to take over for Jacoby Brissett - internally there is a lot more cautiousness over his readiness to operate this offense than the fantasyland beliefs about his ability that was middling in the ACC last year on a team with coaching, offensive line and receiver problems (hmmm, that sounds familiar) — but another dud like Brissett had last week and that will change. Yes, he's been under the most pressure in the league, and that absolutely affects QB play. But just as talent is not an excuse for poor coaching, at some point either the QB makes the plays that are there, or he doesn't — the excuses no longer matter. And he loses his job.

If that happens again and Mayo doesn't make a move to Maye — whether he's ready or not — now you're going to be talking about a situation where the players start to tune out the head coach and his assistants even more.

And things could get really ugly internally.

The Patriots better beat the Dolphins today, or hyperbole could become reality.

NICKEL PACKAGE

1. Patriots are last in the NFL in motion at the snap, which Alex Van Pelt doesn't think is a big deal.

"We motion with a purpose," Van Pelt said this week. "If there's a reason to motion in and out of bunches, you know, moving the tight end from side to side, depending on how the defense responds to what we do with the motions dictates how much we motion."

Luke Kuechly, one of the smartest defensive players in NFL history, would beg to differ.

2. Another great video from this week: the great Greg Cosell on why players need to learn to be NFL QBs coming out of college, which is why the Patriots are being deliberate in grooming Maye.

3. The Patriots had to place David Andrews and Caeden Wallace on injured reserve, but at least some help is on the way.

WR Kendrick Bourne and S Marte Mapu have been activated to the 53-man roster. One would anticipate both being on a pitch count, especially Bourne, but they can help. Would love to see motion into trips with Bourne, Pop Douglas and Ja'Lynn Polk as a staple of the passing scheme going forward. Mapu, if he can stay healthy, can help the pass coverage in the middle of the field that has been lacking.

Additionally, DT Jaquelin Roy has been signed to the 53-man roster from the practice squad. The Patriots also announced that OL Bryan Hudson and LB Ochaun Mathis have been elevated to the active roster from the practice squad. Not sure how good Mathis is, but he looks good off the bus. The 6-foot-5, 250-pounder is a unit in a football uniform. Should be able to help on the end, take over Oshane Ximines' depth role.

4. Don't be fooled by the Dolphins averaging just 11 points per game (Patriots are at 13) - this offense is still very dangerous schematically and with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Dolphins fans may be souring on Mike McDaniel, but his scheme is still on the cutting edge. The problem has been the blocking (rookie LT Patrick Paul, who was one of those tackles that went at the bottom of the second round, has been awful), and the lack of a decent triggerman. If Tyler Huntley can improve with more practice, the Dolphins will hit some plays.

5. BEDARD'S PICK

Season: 2-1-1 spread, 3-1 straight up.

Line: Patriots -1, 36.5 over/under.

This game will feature two really bad offensive lines, and neither team is getting good enough QB play to overcome it. It's going to be ugly, but I have faith the Patriots will do enough - mostly because I don't want to think about the aftermath of a 1-4 start.

Patriots 17, Dolphins 14.