Jerod Mayo slowly retreated to the Patriots locker room even before the dust to the humiliating 40-7 defeat had settled on December 28. Unfortunately, as a first time HC, he’s had this exact walk several times this season. To put it in numbers, his team is currently standing at a dilapidated 3-13 record. They haven’t scored 30 or more points in 44 consecutive games. So, as expected, chants for “Fire Mayo!” filled the Gillette Stadium in the final minutes making a distinct impact, intensified by what many called a dubious lying attempt by Mayo…

The issue at hand this time is a false promise that the coach had made. 20 minutes before the Saturday disaster against the Los Angeles Chargers was set to unfold, Mayo was asked about Rhamondre Stevenson’s NFL-high seven fumbles affecting RB usage. “Gibby is going to start for us today,” the Patriots player-turned-coach had told on-air to Scott Zolak of the team’s radio broadcast on 98.5 The Sports Hub.

But then came the opening drive, and guess what? Antonio Gibson didn’t see the field. Instead, it was Stevenson taking all three snaps, infuriating the community. But, before we get to that, the question that haunts us currently and will for a long time probably: Was it a flat-out lie, or a split-second decision change? Well, we don’t have the answers to it. So, the choice is yours: Believe Mayo’s explanation after the game. Or don’t.

During the post-game conference, a journalist asked, “Jerod, before the game you said on the radio that Antonio Gibson would start at running back and then Rhamondre Stevenson was on the field. What went into the last-minute change there?”

Mayo’s answer? As ambiguous as it can be. “That was just a coach’s decision.” The journalist prodded and poked again: “Did something change from the time you did the interview to the game to lead to that, or was there a miscommunication that maybe the message wasn’t handed down?” The coach stated, ” I understand your question. Look, it’s a coach’s decision. So I’ll leave it at that.” Well, the coach’s decision certainly didn’t serve well…

The playoff-bound Chargers thrashed their opponents, leaving the latter as gloomy as the weather that day. As for Stevenson, he finished with two carries for one yard. Gibson, on the other hand, led the way with 63 yards on 12 carries and averaging 5.2 yards per carry.

To be fair, Mayo’s reasoning for giving Gibson the nod made some sense on paper (until it wasn’t even a decision). Stevenson has been battling fumbling issues. Last week against the Buffalo Bills, he logged 60 yards and a touchdown but also put the pigskin on the ground yet again. Gibson, while not exactly lighting up the stat sheet, managed to recover his own fumble and maintained a higher snap share at 59%. So, sure, the change sounded strategic.

But here’s the rub: if Gibson was supposed to be the guy, why wasn’t he out there? The Bolts’ defense isn’t exactly forgiving—they’ve allowed just seven rushing touchdowns to running backs all season. Fantasy managers banking on Gibson likely weren’t thrilled, either. The promised “starter” role seemed more like a formality than a game-changing opportunity. Gibson might be listed as RB1 for the week, but the snap count disparity suggests Stevenson isn’t going anywhere.

Having said that, the loss definitely wasn’t on the RBs alone. Jim Harbaugh’s team punted on the first possession of their game, but then posted seven-straight scoring drives—they dominated the first half with a 17-point lead while holding a 21:58 to 5:07 advantage in time of possession, and stacking 15 first downs to New England’s two (both via penalty). The Patriots’ 15 offensive plays in the first half tied “for the fewest by any team in a first half in the past five seasons”.

And then there was Drake Maye, whose hit-and-miss performance was overpowered by a spectacular 36-yard touchdown pass to receiver DeMario Douglas late in the second quarter. Notably, it’s the eighth straight game that the 22-year-old has thrown a touchdown, setting a new franchise rookie record for New England—the last record was set by Jim Plunkett in 1971, with a TD pass in seven straight games for the team.

Having said that, no amount of records could convince fans to be favor of Jerod Mayo…

Fans weren’t thrilled, and the sideline chatter quickly turned into a roar of frustration.

Fans aren’t forgiving Jerod Mayo for this one

The headline ahead of the game was clear: Antonio Gibson was set to start over Rhamondre Stevenson. Fans, however, were quick to call foul after Gibson didn’t even see the field on the Patriots’ opening drive. Stevenson? He took all three snaps. For a fanbase already frustrated with Jerod Mayo’s leadership, this felt like another slap in the face. One fan didn’t hold back: “Either Mayo has zero idea what’s going on or just lying straight up lol.” Ouch.

Why the uproar? Stevenson’s fumbling issues had been the talk of the town. With three fumbles this season, including one last week against the Bills, the decision to start Gibson made sense—on paper. Gibson, despite his modest 28-yard performance on ten carries last week, had managed to recover his own fumble and logged a higher snap share. But fans aren’t here for theories; they want results. Another fan bluntly put it: “Straight up lied.”

The frustration didn’t stop there. “Liars, man,” read one comment, summing up the collective mood. And let’s face it, trust is in short supply. Mayo’s track record this season hasn’t helped. From throwing his offensive coordinator, Alex Van Pelt, under the bus to deflecting blame after questionable fourth-and-one calls, fans feel like accountability is a foreign concept to him. It’s no wonder someone else chimed in, “They lied.”

But if you ask Mayo, he’s not too affected by all the online criticism, or the incessant boos. When a reporter directly asked him, “Were you cognizant of the chants that were being directed towards you at the end of the game today?”, he responded, “Look, you hear those things, but at the same time, they paid to sit in the seats, and we’ve got to play better. If we play better, we don’t have to hear that stuff.”

As for any doubts about the coaching staff, the 38-year-old was clear: “I have full confidence in the staff. I have full confidence in the players in there. I think again, it just comes down to being consistent across the board.” 

And then there was the dagger: “Jerod Mayo and this team suck. So embarrassing the Krafts have destroyed this franchise.” That’s not just criticism of Mayo—it’s a reflection of how far the Patriots have fallen. From a dynasty to this? Fans aren’t just angry; they’re heartbroken. The question now is, how does Mayo recover from this? Or does he?