FOXBORO — For the fourth straight year, the Patriots have started 1-3.
For the first time during that stretch, there’s a new head coach trying to get the team back on track.
Jerod Mayo confirmed internal frustrations during a morning press conference Friday, which followed players making public criticisms of each other earlier this week and receivers looking exasperated on the field last Sunday during a loss at San Francisco.
“It’s always frustrating when you’re not winning. The guys put a lot of work in, and everyone wants to try to find a solution right now, while we’re going through this transition. So, people are definitely frustrated,” Mayo said. “And that’s a normal human response. I feel pretty good about the way that we’re going. … it’s part of the transition.”
The Patriots are now preparing face the lowly Dolphins this weekend. Like the Pats, Miami is 1-3 and riding a three-game losing skid, thanks in part to critical injuries. The Dolphins are also the only team scoring fewer points than the Patriots this season, though frustrations have spread across both sides of the ball.
Defensive tackle Davon Godchaux said Monday that teammates played selfishly against the 49ers. Mayo relayed later that he had shared that same message to players in a team meeting, compelling them to play within the defensive scheme. Mayo has also said multiple times this week he expected the Patriots to struggle this season, his first at the helm and their first at the start of an expected long rebuild.
“When I took this job,” he said Friday, “I knew the lumps would come.”
