At a recent press conference, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick declined to answer a question about whether inside linebackers coach Jerod Mayo has been calling the defensive plays.
It appeared that Mayo was calling the plays against the Lions last week and safety Duron Harmon was more forthcoming than his head coach during an appearance on WEEI.
“Jerod, obviously, he’s been calling the plays for us,” Harmon said. “He’s been working at making sure he can get the play in on time and he’s been doing a good job for us. Obviously, there are going to be growing pains, and I wouldn’t even call them growing pains. There are just some things we’re going to need to get better at, but right now I like where we are headed.”
Belichick likely has a sizable hand in putting together the plans on defense, but the Patriots aren’t easing Mayo into anything in his first year as a coach.
One way that Harmon sees Mayo acclimating himself to the new position is by “trying to get the input obviously of the older guys,” some of whom join Harmon as former teammates of the man now pushing buttons on defense in New England. Harmon said those players know Mayo is “smart and a great leader” and it seems everyone else on defense will be getting to know all about Mayo too.