The New England Patriots are closing out a losing season, but it does not appear that the team will make any major changes during the offseason.
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According to a Sunday morning report from NFL insider Ian Rapoport, head coach Jerod Mayo should return as head coach next season. One reason is that owner Robert Kraft has never fired a coach after one season. Another reason is that the expectations were low for the rookie head coach who had a rookie quarterback under center.
"The Krafts want to keep Jerod Mayo," Rapoport said on Sunday morning. "They believe he is the leader for the organization for the future, and they knew it would be a multi-year process to get this thing right.
"Now if things go off the rails — if they really start to struggle and he loses the locker room the last couple games of the season — we've seen this thing turn. But as of now, the Patriots believe Jerod Mayo is their leader for the future."
The Patriots started the season with a 16-10 win over the Bengals. Mayo and his team then lost six games before defeating the rival Jets on Oct. 27. A win over the Bears on Nov. 10 moved the Patriots to three wins.
The AFC East team has since lost five straight, including Sunday's three-point game against the Bills. This was a game in which Mayo's team showed some fight. Rookie quarterback Drake Maye threw for 260 yards and two touchdowns while running back Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for a score.
The Patriots' defense, for comparison, limited Bills quarterback Josh Allen to only 154 passing yards and one touchdown. The defense also intercepted Allen on a deep pass to the end zone.
Now 3-12, the Patriots have two games remaining on the schedule. Next up are the Chargers, who moved to 9-6 with a win over the Broncos. The final game of the season is a rematch with the Bills.
