Calls for Jerod Mayo's firing erupt after Patriots' unforgivable Week 7 loss

The promising debut of Drake Maye against the Texans last week brought a swarm of optimism in New England for the rest of the 2024 season despite how poorly they have played so far. The rookie outperformed his veteran counterpart in just one game and (almost) put together a competent offense that looked like they could do enough to win some games, including the one against the Jaguars on Sunday.

The next few games were being marked as a potential run for the Patriots to go on, but that quickly went down the drain after an embarrassing effort against what was believed to be a worse team in Week 7.

Jacksonville also went into the game with a 1-5 record, and based on how poorly they performed against the Bears last week and how the Patriots looked against the Texans, they were the best next opponent for Maye to gain some confidence from, yet the opposite is what we saw

With the latest disappointing loss in the books, several knee-jerk reactions were seen from fans and media alike immediately after the game. And it's now gotten to the point of some coming for Jerod Mayo's head, suggesting Robert Kraft fire him mid-season based on the season thus far.

Jerod Mayo's head coaching tenure is already coming into question by fans and reporters in New England

While questioning the coaching staff the Patriots brought on this season is valid, it might be a bit premature to be calling for Mayo's job after just seven weeks.

Expecting the Patriots to be a competitive team or even a good one, given how bad the roster was and how much improvement was needed, is beyond unreasonable for any head coach, but especially a rookie.

Regardless, Boston radio host Glenn Ordway was just one of the many expressing their desire to see Mayo let go, wishing that Kraft had hired someone else instead, mainly another former Patriot in Mike Vrabel. The longtime Titans head coach was let go this past offseason and was rumored to be a favorite for the job by Kraft, only for the owner to hire Mayo instead.

Vrabel was also a fan-favorite choice, and that continues to be the case as the season nears its midway point.

Perhaps his experience as a head coach for six years in Tennessee would have made him a more suitable head coach for what the Patriots were trying to accomplish this season. But at the same time, there's no way to know that nor would the situation he walked into be any better than what Mayo has been dealing with.

It's easier to say the grass is greener on the other side when you don't have a choice but to stay on your own lawn. Longing for another head coach just seven weeks into the season does not give Mayo the grace needed for a new head coach, even more so when several factors have impacted the Patriots' season that are beyond Mayo's control.

Criticism is warranted; for the most part, it's not out of line when discussing the 2024 season. However, it might be more fair to give Mayo more time to prove himself before concluding anything about his potential as an NFL head coach or suggesting someone else would have done better instead.

It wasn't too long ago that Bill Belichick was struggling in New England, and we consider him the greatest head coach of all time.

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