Mood is low in New England following another defeat for the Patriots this NFL season. After losing at home to the Houston Texans, their record stands at 1-5, and the future doesn’t look very bright. In a press conference, head coach Jerod Mayo discussed the state of his team and hinted at Bill Belichick‘s involvement in their current struggles.

The decisive home defeat at Gillette Stadium, 41-21 against Houston, left a significant sense of frustration within the franchise. In fact, one of the few positives was the performance of rookie QB Drake Maye at the helm for the Pats.

Roster issues were a topic of debate, and it was head coach Jerod Mayo who addressed them on WEEI this morning: “We had a lot of holes on the roster that we felt, coming out of the draft, that we addressed. Now, free agency, we still felt like we signed the best offensive lineman in Mike Onwenu, and re-signing some of our players, which was definitely part of it. Once again, this isn’t a one-year thing in my mind. It’s going to take time to continue to build out the roster, and that’s how it is,” Mayo said.

The coach, who is experiencing his first stint as a head coach with the franchise, also discussed the importance of giving more opportunities to the younger players on the Patriots, aiming to outline the path forward.

“From a roster standpoint, just in general, especially with our younger players, we had to see what we have this year, no matter what the record is. When we get out of this season, we need to know exactly what we have from a talent standpoint and then fill the holes that we need to fill,” Mayo said.

The most tense moment of the interview came when Mayo was asked about the poor shape of the roster he is tasked with leading. He responded: “You tell me. I’m not doing that one.” Although he wasn’t directly named, the knowing smiles suggested that his response clearly referred to the roster construction by Bill Belichick.

What’s next for the New England Patriots?

  • vs Jacksonville Jaguars, Week 7
  • vs New York Jets, Week 8
  • vs Tennessee Titans, Week 9
  • vs Chicago Bears, Week 10
  • vs Los Angeles Rams, Week 11