Patriots' Jerod Mayo Walks Back Prickly Comment

New England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo has walked back some testy comments he made following his team's Week 13 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.

Dec 1, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo looks on from the sideline during the second half against the Indianapolis Colts at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images / Eric Canha-Imagn Images

New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo was in an ornery mood following his team's loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

It was understandable, given that the Patriots blew a late lead and ended up falling 25-24 in their latest deflating defeat.

After the game, Mayo was asked if New England should have called timeout during the Colts' game-winning drive, and he offered a rather testy response.

“Absolutely, there was a thought,” Mayo said (h/t Tim Crowley of NESN). “We have also won a Super Bowl here doing it the other way. Keeping our timeouts is what I thought was best for the team.”

Well, on Monday, Mayo walked back his comments.

“I shouldn’t have done that,” Mayo said on WEEI's The Greg Hill Show. “You’re right. I probably shouldn’t have — when I said it, I was frustrated first of all. I should have taken a deep breath. I should not have said that. I should not have said it.”

It's certainly not the first time that Mayo has put his foot in his mouth during his debut campaign as Pats head coach, but this was a bit more forgivable given the circumstances.

May's inaugural season in Foxborough has certainly not gone too well.

The Patriots are just 3-10, and while they have shown progress in some areas, they have looked entirely unprepared in other weeks, like in Week 12 when they were hammered by the Miami Dolphins.

To be fair to Mayo, though, New England has a plethora of holes up and down the roster, so it's not like he has a ton of talent at his disposal.

Luckily, the Pats are slated to have considerable cap room heading into the offseason, so they should have ample opportunity to shore things up.

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