New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo clarified his “you said it, I didn’t” comment from Sunday’s press conference, following the loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
The question was raised about whether or not the Patriots should have used quarterback Drake Maye as a runner more in the failed red zone runs in the third quarter.
New England tried back-to-back run attempts using running backs Antonio Gibson and Rhamondre Stevenson on a third-and-one and fourth-and-one situation. Both attempts made by the team failed and squandered a potential scoring drive.
Maye has shown an ability to run with the football this season, recording 359 rushing yards and two touchdowns. When Mayo was asked if the Patriots should have used Maye as a runner, the head coach responded, “You said it, I didn’t.”
Initially, some took that as him placing the blame on offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt.
“The remark that I made last night, you said it, I didn’t—I didn’t mean anything by it,” Mayo said Monday on “The Greg Hill Show.” “It may have been a flippant response, and I tried to clarify that with the next question saying, ultimately, it’s my decision. Ultimately, all of those decisions, offensively, defensively and special teams fall on me. I just wanted to get that out there.”
Some have wondered if there’s a disconnect within the coaching staff that would cause Mayo to even make those comments in the first place. It’s hard to know for sure, but one thing is certain: The product on the field isn’t helping their case.
