New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo has put his foot in his mouth on more than one occasion this season, and he may have done it again following the Patriots’ Week 8 win over the New York Jets.
And how? By labeling New England’s notably patchy offensive line a “strength.”
“What was perceived, I would say, earlier on as a weakness on this team has now become a strength,” Mayo said, via Sean T. McGuire of NESN. “And that has been through Eliot (Wolf) and his team and the acquisition of guys like Lecitus (Smith).”
The Pats’ offensive line did do a fine job against the Jets, but McGuire does not necessarily think the line has suddenly become a positive attribute for the team.
“To say the weakness was ‘perceived’ stretches the truth, too,” McGuire wrote. “New England’s line was one of the lowest-graded pass-blocking units through five weeks. Veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett was under constant pressure in the five games he started. That was not perception, it was reality.”
McGuire has a point. One game does not necessarily mean things have completely turned around for a Patriots offensive line that was entirely porous over the first seven contests.
Yes, it was great to see New England make progress in multiple areas this past Sunday, but unless the Pats can start doing all of that on a consistent basis, we probably shouldn’t our eggs before they catch.
Overall, the Patriots still clearly lack elite—or even decent—talent in most categories, with the offensive line representing one of the biggest problem areas.
Make no mistake: New England will absolutely be in the market for offensive linemen in the offseason, whether that be through free agency, trades or the draft.
Mayo is definitely going to have to learn to pick his verbiage more carefully.