Jerod Mayo's first year at the helm in Foxborough, Mass., has been a bumpy ride from start to finish.
The New England Patriots dropped to 3–13 on Saturday after suffering their sixth straight loss, a 40–7 blowout at the hands of the now-playoff-bound Los Angeles Chargers.
The Patriots' offense never reached the red zone and had the ball for less than 20 minutes on Saturday, a stark difference from Los Angeles' time of possession (40:34).
New England fans are growing restless, as there were audible "fire Mayo" chants heard throughout Gillette Stadium during the game. Inside the locker room, the Patriots know some sort of change is needed as well.
"I mean, I hope so," Patriots defensive end Keion White said after the game if major changes are coming [via Boston Herald's Doug Kyed]. "If changes aren't made, then what are we doing? Again, NFL is a production based business, so if we're not doing anything to change our production, which is loss, what are we doing?"
When asked what specific changes were needed, White turned introspective.
"Again, it's not for me to decide," he said. "First and foremost, I'm changing me, changing how I play the game."
Patriots receiver DeMario Douglas shared a similar sentiment after the game.
“My two years, I’ve been losing, and I feel like it’s time to make a change," Douglas said. "We got some pieces, and we’ll add more pieces next year. I feel like we can come out and do something. I’m trying to be in the playoffs; I’m trying to go for a run and have a winning season. I’m just tired of losing, for real.”
#Patriots WR DeMario Douglas:
— New England Sports Fellow (@NESportsFellow) December 28, 2024
“My two years, I’ve been been losing, and I feel like it’s time to make a change. We got pieces, and we’ll add more pieces next year. I’m trying to be in the playoffs, I’m trying to go for a run, and have a winning season. I’m tired of losing.” pic.twitter.com/0ZxLepzSm6
It was a near-impossible task for Mayo to live up to the legendary Bill Belichick, who parted ways with the Patriots last offseason. Even though it hasn't been pretty, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Saturday that the expectation is for Patriots owner Robert Kraft to give Mayo another chance in 2025 to prove himself worthy of the head-coaching role.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Patriots Players Vocalize Need for Major Changes After Patriots' Sixth Straight Loss.
