Camera shots of the Krafts this season haven’t exactly shown a pair of men looking thrilled. Such was the case again Sunday.
The Patriots put up another discouraging display as they lost 30-17 to the Arizona Cardinals, dropping to 3-11 on the season. The offense kept stalling, the defense got picked apart and many of the issues that have sunk the Patriots this season continued to lurk.
Much of the issue Sunday centered around the offense. They never got any semblance of momentum, and curious play-calling decisions abounded.
Though the Krafts have publicly been supportive of the new coaching regime, led by fledgling head coach Jerod Mayo, CBS cameras caught a visibly incensed Jonathan Kraft in the second quarter Sunday. After yet another play had gotten blown up, with cameras then panning to Kraft emphatically gesticulating towards his father, Robert Kraft.
After the elder Kraft leaned over and said something to his son, vigilant lip-readers then caught Jonathan seemingly remaking on the play-calling.
Mayo responded to the reaction Monday in his weekly appearance on The Greg Hill Show.
“I’m not going to get into what they said (to me after the game)," Mayo said. "I didn’t see the clip, I heard about it this morning. But look, they own the football team, they are fans of the team and they have supported us 100 percent on the football side of not really getting involved in that stuff, which has been good."
Offensive play-calling is offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt’s domain. He appeared to be under fire from every corner of the organization for Sunday, with Mayo delivering a curious response postgame to a question about a play call – something the head coach walked back Monday on GHS. He added that there is no issue between he and Van Pelt – regarding Mayo’s comments Sunday or otherwise.
And while Mayo’s job seems to be safe for 2025, it does raise the question about whether Mayo actually has the staff he wants right now.
The rookie head coach had no time Monday for such a discussion.
“I’m not going to get into all that,” Mayo said. “It’s the staff I want. It’s the staff that we need, we’ve just got to get better.”