Jerod Mayo needs to stop excusing Patriots' losses with this overused phrase

There are many frustrating takeaways from the Patriots' latest loss that could easily be discussed throughout their Week 14 bye. Their performance against the Colts reiterated the concerns that have been there for most of the season. Instead of seeing dramatic improvement as the year progressed, it appears they are only getting worse, drawing more concerns about the coaching staff.

It would be a lot more digestible if most of the team's issues could be attributed to a lack of talent on the roster, as expected for this season. That can be easily addressed during next year's free agency when they have some of the most cap space to spend and their projected high draft picks.

However, their struggles go beyond what we see on the field on game day, and it doesn't help when Jerod Mayo's comments after reflecting upon their efforts don't align with the universal takeaway from the game.

That's the feeling fans and reporters got from the head coach on Monday morning during his weekly interview on WEEI. Of course, he was asked about their overall effort, and while he acknowledges the obvious setbacks (like the pre-snap penalties on offense and the defense not holding firm on Indianapolis's game-winning drive), his continued use of one phrase is becoming far too common to be taken seriously.

Jerod Mayo's excuses are starting to run dry after the Patriots latest loss

While reviewing his initial thoughts on the Patriots' performance against the Colts, Mayo stated he felt it was the offense's "best performance" of the season. It seems likely he did not include the five first-half penalties by the offensive line that stalled their efforts in the red zone, but it's still a debatable statement to make.

But that wasn't the head-scratching part of his statement. It was the continued use of "if you take out," a certain part of the game sentence that has people talking, as it is not the first time he has used that phrase this year.

It's not entirely unfair, considering the Patriots only lost by one point, and many of their losses this year were by one possession. However, it's not a great message to send to the team or the fans when discussing the latest loss, mainly when many factors contributed to that outcome beyond just one drive or moment.

The Boston Herald's Doug Kyed followed up after the game on Sunday, and while Mayo's response makes sense, it's still not necessarily the way the coaching staff should look at losses at this point in the season.

Now that they're in the bye week, a lot needs to be considered moving forward and improvements made.

The season is basically a wash, with the only shining light being rookie quarterback Drake Maye's impressive showing and cornerback Christian Gonzalez's rise to superstardom.

More Patriots news and analysis: