Robert RouseyJerod Mayo of the New England Patriots- A star is Born.
November 15th 2008 05:22
Rookie linebacker Jerod Mayo had a phenomenal game in defeat against the New York Jets. He had a total of 20 total tackles- 16 solo and 4 assists. Jerod has 85 tackles on the year, which is second only to D'Qwell Jackson of the Cleveland Browns, who has 88. It is not common for the Patriots to start rookies, they tend to prefer the seasoned veterans, but Jerod is the exception. Bill Belichick praises his work ethic and says football is very important to him, and that he wants to do well. Jerod wears #51 for the Patriots, and he was their first round draft pick, number ten overall, from the University of Tennessee. One thing that Belichick talked about when he talked about Mayo is how difficult the positon of linebacker is to master. A linebacker has to cover the run, cover the pass, and also blitz on occasion. Mayo's performance stood out Thursday night. He was flying all over the field, closing the gaps and delivering hard hits on running plays, and staying with difficult receivers, like Running Back Leon Washington coming out of the backfield, while in pass coverage. Jerod Mayo will only get better, and he is good now. As good as Mayo appears, you also have to give credit to Belicheck and his coaching staff, who are doing an amazing job keeping the Patriots competitive despite numerous injuries to their players, not the least of which is the torn ligaments in All-World Quarterback Tom Brady's knee. Belichick does it year after year, so we shouldn't be surprised. The development of Matt Cassel is also another wonder of Belichicks coaching staff. Cassel looked clueless early in the season, but he looked like a seasoned veteran last night, and he almost drove his team to victory. If the Patriots would have won the coin flip, I believe they would have won the game, because the Jets had no answer for them in the second half. The Patriots may have lost last night, but they had several bright spots, and they could be a real threat come playoff time if they can keep their players healthy and their young players keep developing. We knew about Belicheck. He is a master, but I believe a star was born last night in Jerod Mayo, and I believe he will be shining brightly for many years to come.
| 30 |
| Vote |
Shared on
Subscribe to this blog
