Three scenarios for Jerod Mayo in Year 1 as Patriots head coach originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
There were three first-time head coaches last season: DeMeco Ryans (Texans), Shane Steichen (Colts) and Jonathan Gannon (Cardinals). Not surprisingly, their seasons went mostly as their quarterbacks went.
Ryans got a tremendous rookie season from No. 2 overall pick C.J. Stroud and Houston went 10-7 and made the playoffs.
Steichen got a nice start from rookie Anthony Richardson (2-2 in four starts) before he got hurt and gave way to a sturdy journeyman in Gardner Minshew as the Colts went 9-8.
Gannon’s franchise quarterback (Kyler Murray) was hurt, so Josh Dobbs started the first eight, going 1-7. (He actually played relatively fine.) Arizona – a crappy 4-13 team in 2022 –scuffled to a feel-good, boy-they-showed-moxie 4-13.
So before theorizing on Best, Worst and Most Likely Scenarios for Jerod Mayo in his first year as head coach, we have to understand one thing above all else: You can only play the hand you’re dealt.
It does start at quarterback. The team had a good first-round quarterback whom Bill Belichick was gushing over less than two years ago. Now Mac Jones is long gone and journeyman Jacoby Brissett is back and keeping the seat warm for gestating wonderboy Drake Maye.
When will Maye be ready? Dunno. He’s got upside and potential. But the offensive line stunk last year and the receiver room has been a disaster since 2019. So everything’s a projection.
Mayo included. Charismatic. Smart. Hard-working. But — like his quarterback — he’s got a long way to go. He doesn’t know what he doesn’t know about being an NFL head coach. He’s pointed that out a few times this offseason.
And nobody can really advise him on how to replace Belichick because nobody in NFL history has replaced a six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach who didn’t really want to leave.
The truth is, it’s not Belichick’s team anymore because they stunk the last two years and…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/three-scenarios-jerod-mayo-1-133714481.html
Author : NBC Sports Boston
Publish date : 2024-07-10 13:37:14
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