Patriots Players Beware: Jerod Mayo Has a Simple Plan For Breaking Fights

Jerod Mayo is quickly asserting his authority as the Patriots’ new Head Coach. While these are still early days, he has found a small yet vital area where he could start the process.

Recognizing the potential for in-game altercations during practice to derail progress, the Patriots HC has found an ingenious, yet slightly controversial way to deter fighting.

During Tuesday’s presser, Mayo laid down simple rules to make fighting redundant in the training camp. Trying to replicate the game day experience, he pointed out that fighting will lead to a fine for the players, just like during the regular season:

“You fight in a real game, you get fined and kicked out. That’s the same thing here. My message to the players-you get into a fight out here, if you are a starter, you’re going to play the whole preseason game. If you’re not the starter, you won’t play at all.”

The logic is simple- the starters don’t like to involve themselves in preseason games, mainly to prevent injury. But those reps are crucial for the backups if they want to make the roster or get more starts.

This is a far departure from the reports suggesting Mayo is prioritizing forging strong relationships with his players and encouraging his coaching staff to prioritize player well-being before judging their competency. But it seems like an effective strategy.

Bill Belichick solidified his “Patriots way” philosophy early in his tenure, gaining control over the organization. The franchise mantra became – “In Bill, we trust”, running a tight ship, as he made decisive, often unpopular decisions.

While Belichick’s methods were more rigid, both coaches have found a common ground- a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to fighting. This has earned Mayo appreciation for his commitment to maintaining discipline within the ranks.

Fans in favor of Mayo’s fighting policy

Patriots fans have lauded the new coach’s strict stance on player in-fighting, praising him for keeping players accountable for their actions.

Another chimed in and added,

Some fans criticized Jerod’s approach, comparing it to Belichick’s way of dealing with the media, perhaps suggesting that the new HC shouldn’t have divulged this information to the media:

Another raised doubts about the viability of Mayo’s approach, asserting that he wouldn’t last three seasons:

While the organization and the new HC are striving for a distinct identity from the Belichick era, Mayo is trying to retain some elements of the “Patriots way”.

Recognizing that change can only be gradual and that what his predecessor built cannot be removed instantly, it seems he has adopted a balanced approach for the future. Whether that works out for him or not remains to be seen.