Jerod Mayo had to be kidding in his defense of costly game-time mistake

A lot went wrong in the Patriots Week 13 game against familiar foe, the Colts, and because of a litany of mistakes, it cost them another game on the year. They now head into their bye week with a 3-10 record and the hope of bouncing back when they return for a Week 15 matchup with the Cardinals.

There's a lot of blame to go around for why their efforts were not enough on Sunday. None of it involves rookie quarterback Drake Maye. It does, however, involve careless mistakes by the offensive line, questionable efforts by the defense, and missed points by kicker Joey Slye.

Of course, there is also a focus on the coaching staff, who have been under a microscope even more lately, and this latest loss doesn't help get them off the hot seat. The defensive play calling, lack of challenging plays in big moments, and improper time management are some of the biggest issues to take away from this game, some of which Jerod Mayo spoke about in his post-game presser.

Jerod Mayo's explanation for missed timeout is a bit concerning

One of the most dire questions revolved around the decision not to take a timeout during the Colts' final game-winning drive, which would have helped when the Patriots got the ball back to close out the game. Instead, the offense got back on the field with just 12 seconds remaining, leading to a very limited opportunity to make a play to win the game.

Mayo's response to the missed timeout has fans and reporters talking, and not just because some believe he should be in the hottest seat of all as the season heads into the home stretch.

While he's correct about the Patriots winning games, even a Super Bowl, by not taking a timeout when many felt they should, we're not talking about past teams nor what Bill Belichick did or didn't do.

We are talking about the 2024 season with a rookie quarterback under center and a brand new coaching staff under fire for careless mistakes that continue to be problematic for the team's success, including this missed timeout.

It's not entirely out of line for Mayo to make this sort of comment because it's easy to suggest what should or shouldn't have been done in hindsight, as it is with any NFL game. However, the context seems to be lacking, and the Patriots aren't in a position to rely on the past to support a decision that didn't work in the present.

Unfortunately, this is the latest questionable comment by the head coach, which will follow him throughout the bye week and is already prompting fans to demand that Robert Kraft decide he isn't the right fit to lead the team.

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