Jerod Mayo Admits Patriots Starter Had 'Struggles' Against Bengals
The New England Patriots shocked the football world with a 16-10 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals to open the 2024 NFL season. The win also served as the first of Jerod Mayo's head coaching career as he looks to bring the Patriots back to glory in the post-Bill Belichick era.
New England's performance against Cincinnati was impressive, however, it wasn't a perfect effort. Several Patriots players struggled at points throughout the game, including starting left tackle Chukwuma Okorafor, who was replaced by Vederian Lowe after a dozen snaps into the game.
Now that the Week 1 matchup is in the rearview, HC Mayo has shared his thoughts on the veteran blocker's struggles.
Patriots News: Jerod Mayo Discusses Chukwuma Okorafor's Struggles
Following the Week 1 victory, Mayo told reporters that Okorafor faced "some challenges" throughout the game. The Patriots HC added that while the 27-year-old blocker "has the entire skill set to be a good tackle," competition with teammates like Lowe is exactly what the coaching staff is looking for.
Patriots HC Jerod Mayo on replacing Chukwuma Okorafor for Vederian Lowe: "I think (Okorafor) has the entire skill set to be a good tackle in this league. I would say, during the game there were some challenges. He had some challenges and struggles over there. Lowe came in and did…
— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) September 9, 2024
After being removed from the starting LT role, Okorafor was never put back in the game. Meanwhile, Lowe went on to play 52 offensive snaps, leaving time to tell if he'll see a similar workload going forward.
On the flip side, it's great to see Lowe step up after an extremely underwhelming 2023 campaign. The 2022 draft's 184th-overall pick will look to follow it up with an encore performance if given the opportunity this weekend.
Hopefully, Okorafor's underwhelming showcase was a one-off situation and he returns to form in Week 2. The former 2018 third-round selection spent the first six seasons of his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers before signing a one-year contract with the Patriots back in March.
Although he's never been the best player at his position, Okorafor still proved that he was a serviceable part of Pittsburgh's offensive line. Having said that, the ex-Western Michigan product mostly played on the right side with the Steelers, whereas the Patriots opted to deploy him on the left.
The position change proved to be ineffective last month when Okorafor was flagged for three illegal formation calls in the preseason finale against the Washington Commanders. Combine that with Sunday's struggles, and it's easy to see that something must change.
Hopefully, Okorafor bounces back when the Patriots host the Seattle Seahawks at Gillette Stadium for the 2024 home opener in Week 2. HC Mayo & Co. will need all the help they can get, though, as New England is currently the 3.5-point underdog to Seattle on FanDuel Sportsbook.
In other Patriots news:
feed