Internet lip-readers have never been more valuable than during Sunday’s loss to the Cardinals when Patriots ownership was shown on the CBS broadcast reacting to negative play.
Team owner Robert Kraft appears to say something about “offensive play calling,” to which lip readers have decided Patriots vice president Jonathan Kraft says “the play calling is terrible.” At the very least, the Krafts looked unhappy with what they were seeing on the field.
Robert Kraft: “It’s the offensive play calling.”
Jonathan Kraft: “The play calling is terrible.”
Nothing to see here. pic.twitter.com/e0Q8bLM6wH
— Boorish (@Boorish_Sports) December 15, 2024
Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo was asked Monday about his reaction to the clip and if the Krafts have voiced their displeasure with the offensive play calling, which is handled by offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt.
“I haven’t seen anything like that, so I’m not sure what you’re talking about,” Mayo said of the video. “What I will say is they’ve been fully supportive of us as a team, and look, they’re huge fans of the team they own. So whatever they say, that’s what they said.”
Mayo reiterated Monday morning on WEEI that he hadn’t seen the video.
“I’m not gonna, you know, get into what they said. I didn’t see the clip. I heard about it this morning,” Mayo said. “But look, they own the football team. They’re fans of the team, and they have supported us 100% on the football side of not really getting involved in that stuff, which has been good.”
It wasn’t just the Krafts who second-guessed some of Van Pelt’s decisions Monday. Mayo was asked Sunday if the team considered using quarterback Drake Maye’s legs in short-yardage situations, to which he replied, “you said it. I didn’t.” Mayo walked back that comment Monday, saying he meant nothing by it.
Maye said Sunday that he was a good “quarterback sneaker” in college and that he’d be open to running the play in the games.
Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte questioned why the Patriots didn’t attack the Cardinals’ defense more early in Sunday’s loss. Maye also said he’d like to see the offense use more “tempo” moving forward since going hurry-up at the end of Sunday’s game was successful for the offense.