ESPN Analysts Impressed by Jerod Mayo’s Coaching Debut

Jerod Mayo is not new to the NFL. The New England Patriots made him the tenth overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft. He retired on Feb. 16, 2016, after eight seasons in the NFL. Mayo is also not new to coaching in the NFL. He was an assistant on Bill Belichick’s staff for five seasons, from 2019 to 2023. Jerod Mayo is, however, new to being a head coach in the National Football League. Last Sunday was his first regular season game on the head coach’s headset, and he impressed.

New England left Cincinnati with a 16-10 win over the Benglans and a 1-0 record. Many called it the biggest upset of Week 1. ESPN analysts Jeremy Fowler and Dan Gaziano were asked several questions about Week 1 and looking ahead to Week 2 of the 2024 NFL season. The conversation included talk about the newest NFL head coaching hires.

NFL Head Coaches Making Debuts in 2024

There were eight NFL head coaching hires during the offseason. Jerod Mayo (Patriots), Dave Canales (Panthers), Mike Macdonald (Seahawks), and Brian Callahan (Titans) were hired as first-time NFL head coaches. Three hires, Raheem Morris (Falcons), Jim Harbaugh (Chargers), and Dan Quinn (Commanders), and prior  Finally, Antonio Pierce (Raiders) finished the 2023 season as his team’s interim head coach before getting the full-time gig in the offseason. He is included here since it was his debut as the Las Vegas’ actual head coach.

Also Read – Ten Takeaways From New England Week 1 Win in Cincinnati

The eight head coaches went a combined 3-5 in Week 1. Mayo, Macdonald, and Harbaugh all remain undefeated on the season after one game. Fowler and Gaziano were asked about the group’s performance in the opener.

Which Coaching Debut Surprised You the Most in Week 1?

A surprise can be positive or negative. But the New England Patriots head coach positively surprised the analysts on Sunday.

Jeremy Fowler stated, “Jerod Mayo. I did not anticipate the Patriots controlling the tempo against a talented Bengals team like that. The Patriots’ defense is always a tough out, and Mayo seemed a step ahead of the Bengals’ defense. But New England rushing for 170 yards and holding the ball 34-plus minutes was a mild surprise. Mayo clearly believes he has something with running back Rhamondre Stevenson in a wide-zone scheme. It worked in Cleveland, where new Patriots playcaller Alex Van Pelt was the offensive coordinator for four seasons. We still need to see more from the passing game, but it was a banner start for Mayo.”

JEROD MAYO GATORADE BATH pic.twitter.com/re9pehIxN4

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) September 8, 2024

Dan Graziano concurred. He stated, “Awesome win for Mayo and a Patriots team from whom very little is expected this season. “No one thought we could do it” is such a tired cliché, but sometimes it’s true. I don’t know many people who had them winning that game. I personally thought this season would be about getting things together on offense so that they’d be ready when Drake Maye takes over at QB. It obviously still might, but it was a cool first day for Mayo.”

Changing the Narrative

Jerod Mayo has huge shoes to fill by replacing Bill Belichick. It is a long season, and the way the rest of the results are still TBD. But it is nice to see Mayo receiving a well-deserved pat on the back from national media for a job well done.