The Patriots Got Outcoached (Again)

There’s a minute and 55 seconds until halftime in a must-win game against the Los Angeles Rams, the Patriots need points.

At their own 13-yard line, New England can score a touchdown and tie the game at 14 before the Rams get the ball back in the second half.

Head coach Jerod Mayo decided to go the traditional and more conservative route, the Patriots kicked a field goal and went into halftime down four points. Just 40 seconds into the third quarter, Mathew Stafford connected with Cooper Kupp on a wide-open 69-yard touchdown pass.

Following a Drake Maye interception deep into the fourth quarter, Los Angeles secured their fifth win of the season in a 28-22 victory.

Mayo’s mistakes

New England trailed for the rest of the game following the decision to kick a field goal. Despite that, Jerod Mayo expressed during his postgame press conference that the Patriots were the ones in control.

“I never really felt like they had control of the game,” Mayo said. “ I felt like we had control of the game.”

One aspect of the game New England definitely didn’t have control of was the production of Kupp and Puka Nacua. The star wideouts combined for 229 yards and three touchdowns. But their monstrous production seemed preventable.

Mayo and the coaching staff made the decision to have cornerback Christian Gonzalez cover Demarcus Robinson for most of the game. Robinson caught just two passes for 19 yards.

When the team did decide to use Gonzalez against Kupp and Nakua in man coverage, the results were what you would expect. The duo caught just four passes for 36 yards while Gonzalez lined up opposite of the two. On the other hand, when Gonzalez was not covering either wide receiver, New England allowed 146 yards and three touchdowns while in man coverage.

Whether the decision to use Gonzalez as the primary defender for Robinson was schematic or personnel-related, it was the wrong one.

Mayo has his moments

Sean McVay is one of the brightest coaches in the league, so it’s no surprise he outcoached a rookie head coach in Mayo. But this isn’t the first game where the Patriots’ coaching decisions have cost them opportunities.

Mayo has certainly had his moments. But from running out the clock after the two-minute warning before halftime to the conservative approaches on fourth down, the traditionalist style of football the Patriots are playing is not conducive to winning.

Despite the team’s 3-8 record, the Patriots locker room seems to still be in good spirits.

“It’s easy to pack it up and think about next year. [But], these guys are present,” Mayo said during an appearance on WEEI. “You look forward too far and that leads to anxiety. These guys have been present. They’ve been where their feet are and that’s the expectation from me.”

Mayo, who spent eight years with the Patriots as a linebacker, still has the locker room. Despite the horrendous start to the season, ever since the Pats started Maye at quarterback, the team has been trending upward. New England has a chance to take their trending momentum and make something happen next season.

But until choices from Mayo and the coaching staff keep the Patriots in games, the coaching decisions we’ve seen so far should be put into question.