Head coach Jerod Mayo acknowledged the crowd’s displeasure, emphasizing, “You hear those things. At the same time, they paid to sit in the seats, and we’ve got to play better. If we play better, we don’t have to hear that stuff.” This loss marks the sixth consecutive defeat for the Patriots, who had hoped to build momentum from their previous performance in Buffalo.
Instead of leveraging last week’s encouraging effort, the Patriots took yet another step back in their penultimate game of the season. With one more matchup against the Buffalo Bills on the horizon, speculation about Mayo’s future—and that of several assistant coaches, particularly offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt and defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington—will likely grow stronger.
“I’m always under pressure and it’s been that way for a very long time, not just when I became the head coach of the Patriots. I’m okay. Look, I always do what’s best for the team,” Mayo stated. “I have full confidence in the staff. I have full confidence in the players in (the locker room). I think again, it just comes down to being consistent across the board.”
The Patriots underwent a significant coaching change after parting ways with six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick following last season’s disappointing 4-13 finish. The hopes for improvement this year have not materialized, with New England facing the prospect of possibly achieving an even lower win total under Mayo.
“I’m just tired of losing. I’m trying to be in the playoffs and have a winning season,” second-year wide receiver DeMario Douglas expressed, revealing his frustration. He connected with Maye for the team’s only touchdown during the game.
Maye, regarded as a key player in the Patriots’ rebuilding journey, had initially appeared to be in jeopardy of not returning after sustaining a head injury early in the game. The third overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft endured a hit to the helmet while scrambling on a third-down play during New England’s opening drive, courtesy of Chargers cornerback Cam Hart. After lying on the ground for a few moments, he managed to get up and jog off to the sidelines.
Though he was briefly replaced by backup Jacoby Brissett, Maye returned to the field early in the second quarter after further evaluation in the locker room. This marked his comeback after a previous head injury sidelined him during Week 8’s victory over the New York Jets. “Just kind of got my bell rung on the first drive. I feel good, I still feel good, and then I was good to go,” Maye remarked following the game.
Among his teammates, the decision for Maye to re-enter the game did not come as a surprise. On his first play back, he executed a 9-yard run, even drawing a penalty for unnecessary roughness.
“He didn’t have to come back, but he did. That gave everyone a lot of confidence,” stated Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte.
In the game, Maye set a franchise record for rookie quarterbacks by throwing touchdown passes in eight consecutive games after connecting with Douglas, even as the Chargers’ defense drew an offsides call. Nevertheless, he also suffered another turnover for the eighth straight game, fumbling a pitch that the Chargers converted into a touchdown, extending their lead to 17-0 in the second quarter. “I’ve got to give him a better ball to catch. That falls back on me,” Maye commented, taking responsibility for the play.
Fortunately, it seems the Patriots avoided a serious injury to Maye. Attention now shifts toward Mayo and what lies ahead for him in 2025. “I think the biggest thing was you don’t see those guys quitting. I think the score may not tell that today, but I feel like the guys are still wanting to win. We’re still leaving it out there every week, and I think that was kind of my message to the team,” Maye concluded.
