How Jerod Mayo Tackled Question About Patriots’ Wishy-Washy ‘Identity’

Will the real New England Patriots please stand up?

The Patriots looked like a reinvigorated bunch in Week 1 -- Jerod Mayo's first game as New England's head coach -- as they punched the Cincinnati Bengals in the mouth en route to an upset road victory.

The same could be said for most of Week 2, even though the Patriots ultimately suffered an overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks in New England's home opener.

But Week 3? That was a mess. The Pats looked eerily similar to the squad that went 4-13 last season -- Bill Belichick's final campaign in New England -- and was projected to finish among the NFL's worst in 2024.

Thus, we must ask: What type of team is New England right now?

It sure feels like the Patriots are going through a bit of an identity crisis.

"I don't want to jump to conclusions. After we controlled the line of scrimmage throughout the preseason, and on both sides of the ball in the first two games, to sit here and overreact on the third game, and controlling the line of scrimmage, I don't want to do that," Mayo told reporters Monday at Gillette Stadium. "I still think we have a tough, physical football team. That's my expectation, and that's also their expectation, to go out there and establish your toughness. In the fourth quarter, hopefully, you have a chance to win."

Last Thursday night's 24-3 loss to the New York Jets could be an aberration when all is said and done. It was a short week, on the road, against a tough divisional opponent led by a future Hall of Fame quarterback in Aaron Rodgers.

But the defeat still should leave a bad taste in the Patriots' mouths, largely because the issues that plagued New England in recent seasons -- lackluster quarterback play behind a shoddy offensive line -- cropped up once again. And the defense stunk.

"I always tell the guys, win, lose, or draw, we have to be ready to change the page," Mayo said Monday. "In the NFL, especially early in the season, it's so up and down. No one really knows who's good and who's bad. Even when the schedule release comes out, just because you were good the past year, doesn't mean you're going to be good this year. Same thing, just because you were bad last year, doesn't mean you're going to be bad this year.

"For me, it's always been about changing the page and moving on to the next one. This is why we always talk about, especially at the quarterback position, not getting too high or getting too low. Let's try to handle winning and handle losses the right way and learn from those mistakes."

The Patriots' next opportunity to craft an identity -- the identity they want -- comes Sunday when New England travels to Levi's Stadium for a Week 4 matchup with the defending NFC champion San Francisco 49ers.