5 Patriots On Thin Ice With Jerod Mayo as Head Coach
By Thomas Erbe
![Dec 12, 2022; Glendale, Arizona, USA; New England Patriots linebackers coach Steve Belichick against Dec 12, 2022; Glendale, Arizona, USA; New England Patriots linebackers coach Steve Belichick against](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_2629,h_1478,x_0,y_443/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/253/01hkz86rmks3r2ffrvg5.jpg)
3. Bill O'Brien's Job Could Be on the Line
Jerod Mayo is obviously a defense-first coach, and he's going to need someone in the offensive coordinator role who can really function independently.
There was some hope that Bill O'Brien was that guy, but 2023 made it clear that this wasn't the case.
The other thing that this team will need is a coach to develop a rookie quarterback to reach their full potential. And that's not something O'Brien really has a track record of doing.
The Patriots may well decide that an older veteran OC is the right piece to pair with the young Mayo, to get some experience on the staff. That would rule out some majorly interesting candidates this season, and would give O'Brien a little more hope of keeping his job.
But he still feels like a long-shot. O'Brien is going to have to quickly start petitioning Mayo that he's the right guy for the job and should stick around.
That's especially true if Mayo prefers a certain other former New England OC from his playing days.