Jerod Mayo seems content with the logic that led him to the ultimately ill-fated decision to kick the extra point instead of going for two in a pivotal moment against the Titans on Sunday.
After Drake Maye put the Patriots within one point in the dying seconds of regulation on a remarkable scramble and touchdown pass to Rhamondre Stevenson, Jerod Mayo was faced with a decision. He could kick the extra point and send the game to overtime, or take a gamble and go for two and, in turn, the win.
Mayo opted to send the game to overtime, where the Patriots would lose 20-17. Nick Folk put the hosts up by the deciding scoreline with a 25-yard field goal, and an interception from Maye later on would seal the loss.
There are a few ways to look at the decision to just kick the extra point. It was undoubtedly the safest way to ensure the Patriots got a chance to win the game. They got a clean slate going into the overtime, and, even if it didn’t pan out, that was a far less all-or-nothing approach than going for two.
That said, the now-2-7 Patriots aren’t exactly competing for a playoff spot this year, so there’s an argument for employing the “what do we have to lose” approach and just going for two. Especially with the glut of young players the Patriots are trying to build around, a two-point situation to win or lose the game might be a better developmental experience than overtime.
Mayo defended the decision Monday on The Greg Hill Show.
“We always stay ahead of the game, and that conversation happened long before the 12-second play," Mayo said. "And again, I thought that was the best thing to do for our team. And honestly, either way, unless you execute the play, you’ll be criticized.
“We go for two and we don’t get it a couple games ago (against the Jaguars in London), this time we kicked the extra point and I felt good, I felt like that was the right thing to do. So, it’s not like I'm stuck anyway. It’s a combination of things that go into that decision, and ultimately it’s my decision. That’s what I decided to do.”
The failed two-point attempt in Jacksonville happened in the fourth quarter when the Patriots cut the Jags’ lead to nine with a K.J. Osborn touchdown reception. Mayo opted to go for two, but that decision backfired and thus it remained a two-possession game.