Sports
It’s time for the Patriots to fire Jerod Mayo and set sights on Mike Vrabel
FOXBORO, Mass. — Jerod Mayo’s walk back to the locker room was slow. It was an eerie evening here. Foggy, dark, foreboding. Even though his tenure has lasted only 16 games, Mayo’s done this walk several times, the sulked retreat to the locker room after a performance that feels like rock bottom only for a new low to arrive.
But this one feels different. This one really has to be rock bottom. The kind that leads to change.
For weeks, the New England Patriots have signaled to every NFL insider with a cell phone that they really wanted Mayo to return for a second season as head coach. Robert Kraft had made Mayo the handpicked successor to all Bill Belichick built. They knew he’d have learning moments as a first-time head coach. But they really wanted it to work out. Essentially, the message was this: Just don’t make the Patriots an embarrassment, and you’re back for Year 2.
This one, though — Los Angeles Chargers 40, Patriots 7 — leaves no doubt. The Patriots are an embarrassment. They’re 3-13. They haven’t scored 30 or more points in 44 straight games. They’ve surrendered at least that many six times this season alone. They hadn’t lost six in a row since 1993 — now they’ve done it twice this year. For a second straight season, they’re going to finish with a sub-.300 winning percentage, something they haven’t done since they were the AFL’s Boston Patriots.
All of which is to say more simply: It’s time.
Time for change. Time for Kraft to admit this has all been too much too soon for Mayo and set sights on hiring Mike Vrabel to be the Patriots’ new head coach.
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Kraft’s plan seemed a reasonable one once upon a time. Mayo seemed a natural successor to Belichick. He played for him and was lured into coaching by him. He could take Belichick’s core beliefs and pair them with a more modern approach. It seemed like it had a chance to work. And what a story it would’ve been.
But 16 games in, it’s painfully obvious that Mayo is in over his head. Perhaps it wouldn’t be this simple if the crop of available coaches was a group without any ties to the Patriots who may not even consider a franchise that’s been in the wilderness since Tom Brady left five years ago.
What should make it an easy decision for Kraft is that the fix is obvious. One of the two best available coaches is a Patriots Hall of Famer, a tough, no-nonsense guy who could both be a bridge to the glory years while yielding optimism about what’s to come in Foxboro. In short, what Mayo was supposed to be.
Another way to look at it is this: The best case is that Mayo turns things around, gets buy-in from players, and with more talent on his roster, yields the kind of culture Vrabel built in Tennessee while getting the most out of his teams. But if that’s the hope, why not just hire Vrabel?
Mike Vrabel is the obvious choice for the Patriots if they move on from Jerod Mayo after one season. (Eric Canha / USA Today)
There’s no guarantee most years that other free-agent coaches would have any interest in the Patriots. But Vrabel would. He could return to the franchise where he became a three-time Super Bowl champion as a driving force of the first dynasty. And, importantly, he has a good relationship with Kraft. The Pats owner wined and dined Vrabel during the Titans’ bye week last year when Vrabel was inducted, rolling out the red carpet as a thank you for all Vrabel meant to the Pats (and maybe as an apology for trading him in 2009), which at the time irked some back in Tennessee watching Vrabel bask in all things Patriots. Even if the Patriots job wouldn’t be all that intriguing to some coaches, that’s not the case with Vrabel.
At this point, what’s the argument for bringing back Mayo? Just that Kraft once saw a lot of promise in him and they owe it to him to give him a chance with a better roster? Is that enough to let Vrabel go elsewhere, then potentially have to make a switch next year if things don’t work out and have to search through a new crop of available coaches who don’t have ties to the Patriots?
That path would mean changes to Mayo’s coaching staff, potentially swapping out his offensive and defensive coordinators. Alex Van Pelt’s offense has been really bad, and somehow DeMarcus Covington’s defense has been even worse. On national TV Saturday, the Chargers had 428 yards to the Patriots’ 181. They had 29 first downs to the Patriots’ 11. They had the ball for more than two-thirds of the game.
Back at the bye that started this month, the mandate to Mayo and his coaching staff seemed obvious. Just don’t become a trainwreck at the end of the season. Show some improvement here and there even if it doesn’t add up to a bunch of wins.
But in the three games since then, the Patriots have been blown out by the Arizona Cardinals, blew a 14-point lead to the Buffalo Bills and got blown out by the Chargers.
Everything about the latest one was embarrassing. Ladd McConkey, the rookie receiver they didn’t want in the second round, torched them for two touchdowns and 94 yards — outproducing the combined season-long effort from the receivers the Patriots drafted instead (Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker). The defense was gashed and lost its best player (Christian Gonzalez) to injury. The offense stunk and got Drake Maye smoked a few times.
Even the odd parts of this team that don’t really matter are embarrassing, like Mayo telling the broadcast crew before the game that they were going to start Antonio Gibson at running back to send a message to Rhamondre Stevenson … only to then start Stevenson.
“Coach’s decision” was all Mayo could muster three different times when pressed on the move.
At this point, he’s a coach without answers. Maybe if he had another year to be a mentee under Belichick this could’ve worked out. Or maybe if Eliot Wolf’s draft class hadn’t been a total disaster outside of Maye then Mayo could yield more production with a better roster.
Instead, Gillette Stadium was dotted by empty seats Saturday, an uncomfortable reminder of where they’re at.
Kraft invited Maye’s family to watch the game from his suite high above the 50-yard line. It’s obvious the Patriots feel they have their franchise quarterback. They owe it to him to surround him with better players — and, based on the last 16 games, better coaches.
The hope was that Mayo would get better as the season went on and he learned the ropes of a new job. His team would reflect that improvement.
Instead, the Patriots found a new rock bottom on an afternoon when an uncomfortable reality set in. It’s time to make another change at head coach.
(Top photo: Kathryn Riley / Getty Images)
Sports
West Virginia football game holds moment of silence for two National Guard soldiers shot in DC attack
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Before the West Virginia Mountaineers football team took on the No. 5 Texas Tech Red Raiders Saturday afternoon in Morgantown, the crowd shared a moment of silence for the two West Virginia National Guard soldiers shot in Washington, D.C., Wednesday.
The public address announcer asked the crowd for silence as it came together to honor 24-year-old U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe from Martinsburg and 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom from Webster Springs. Their pictures were shown on the scoreboard during the moment of silence.
The two National Guard soldiers were shot near the White House during their deployment in D.C. Spc. Beckstrom died from her injuries, while Staff Sgt. Wolfe remains in critical condition.
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Rich Rodriguez, head coach of the West Virginia Mountaineers, during the second quarter of a game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Milan Puskar Stadium Nov. 29, 2025, in Morgantown. (Brien Aho/Getty Images)
The suspected shooter is Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national.
The shooting happened in broad daylight, and eyewitness video has emerged showing the shooter, believed to be Lakanwal, wearing dark clothing, turning a corner with a revolver in hand while Guardsmen scramble for cover.
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One of the Guardsmen was seen around a corner down a street and returned fire. Metro Police say other National Guardsmen heard the shots about three blocks away from the White House and were able to detain Lakanwal after he had been shot.
The shooter fired off 10 to 15 rounds with a .357 revolver, according to federal charging documents cited by Reuters.
Lakanwal had entered the United States in September 2021 under Operation Allies Welcome, the Biden administration’s Afghan evacuation and resettlement program. Prosecutors say he traveled across the country shortly before the attack and had no prior criminal record.
Emergency personnel gather in a cordoned area where National Guard soldiers were shot near the White House Wednesday, Nov. 26, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Lakanwal faces charges of first-degree murder and two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed. Attorney General Pam Bondi has said the Department of Justice intends to seek the death penalty.
Beckstrom and Wolfe were among members of the West Virginia National Guard deployed to the D.C. area to tackle crime in the city in response to an executive order from President Donald Trump.
Rep. Riley Moore, R-W.Va., told “FOX & Friends Weekend” Saturday that Wolfe is “hanging on,” adding his family is calling for prayer.
“Andrew is fighting for his life right now, and his family and all of his friends, they’re trying to harvest as many prayers as possible from all across the country, all across the globe, to help him recover,” West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey told “Fox & Friends Weekend” Saturday.
National Guard members Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Andrew Wolfe, 24, were shot in Washington, D.C., Wednesday. Beckstrom died Thursday at a hospital. (United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia; Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
“West Virginia cares very deeply about its guard. And there’s just a proud tradition of West Virginians who step up from military service. So, when something like this happens, it’s really a gut punch to the communities.”
As for the Mountaineers’ game, they weren’t competitive against one of the best teams in the country. The Red Raiders beat them, 49-0, to move to 11-1 on the year. West Virginia finished its season 4-8.
Fox News’ Michael Dorgan, Greg Norman and Madeleine Rivera added to this report.
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Nicholas Fonseca snared a tipped ball in the end zone for a 39-yard touchdown on an untimed down as South Gate pulled out a miraculous 63-58 victory over Marquez in the City Section Division I final Saturday at Southwest College.
Marquez had taken a 58-57 lead on a one-yard sneak by Angelo Gutierrez and his subsequent two-point conversion pass to Elyjah Staples with six seconds left. After a fair catch, South Gate took over at its 46 and when Anthony Ford intercepted a pass the Gladiators began celebrating, thinking they had won. However, a pass interference penalty advanced the ball to the Marquez 39 and gave the Rams one last gasp with zeros on the clock.
Quarterback Michael Gonzalez rolled to his right to buy time and launched a pass into a maze of players in the end zone. The jump ball was tipped by two defenders into the waiting arms of Fonseca, who calmly grabbed it out of midair — shocking even his own teammates.
“I said to myself I’m not going to go up for the ball, I’m not that tall. … I’m gonna wait for it to come down and that’s what happened,” said Fonseca, who had 10 catches for 152 and two touchdowns and also scored on a six-yard run.
“I seen it coming, I saw them hit it down but it went right into my hands and I caught it. This is one of the most special moments of my life!”
Gonzalez completed 26 of 34 passes for 450 yards and six touchdowns. Ephaunie Lewis had 10 receptions for 193 yards and three scores — the last a three-yard lob from Gonzalez with 52 seconds left, immediately followed by Fonseca’s two-point run to put South Gate up 57-50.
Marquez tailback Gilberto Cisneros drags Rams defender Jordan Olivares to the goal line in the second quarter Saturday.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
Nicholas Quintanilla returned the second-half kickoff 85 yards for a score that pulled the second-seeded Rams (11-3) even and his 39-yard touchdown catch gave South Gate its first lead, 35-28, late in the third quarter. He finished with five catches for 90 yards and rushed five times for 54 yards.
The teams combined for six touchdowns in a wild fourth quarter.
Angelo Gutierrez-Molina threw for 227 yards and two touchdowns, Marcus Juan ran for 113 yards and one touchdown in 15 carries and caught four passes for 50 yards. He raced 68 yards on a hook and lateral to give the fifth-seeded Gladiators (11-3) a 50-49 lead with 1:57 left.
Gilberto Cisneros added 84 yards and three touchdowns in 22 carries and Staples had four catches for 129 yards and one touchdown.
“Never give up!” coach Francisco Saldana shouted before raising the trophy
South Gate lost to Chatsworth 38-36 on a field goal with no time left in the Division II final last year — one of the most bizarre endings in City playoff history.
“On the last play my coach told me to run a corner route to the pylon,” Fonseca said. “Last year we were up late and it bit us. This time we came through and it feels great.”
South Gate captured its third City title and first since winning the 3A Division in 1988 under Gary Cordray.
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Super Bowl champion head coach Tony Dungy expressed his frustration with inconsistent pass interference penalties during Thanksgiving Day’s slate of NFL games.
There were plenty of questionable calls during each of the three games – as there have been over the course of the entire 2025 season. He wrote on social media that the discrepancies have made it appear that NFL officials do not know what pass interference is.
Tony Dungy on the NBC Sports set before the game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Buffalo Bills at SoFi Stadium on Sept. 8, 2022. (Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports)
“When you watch NFL football all day long you just come to the conclusion our officials don’t know what pass interference is,” he wrote on X. “We tried making it reviewable a couple of years ago and that didn’t help. But these are monster penalties that are not called consistently at all.”
Dungy explained his take further when one X user wrote back that his comments were “cheap seats kind of gripes.”
“I had a good day watching football. I just think pass interference is called very inconsistently. And they are sometimes 40 yard penalties. Doesn’t make it a cheap seat gripe. It’s just a statement of fact made from watching 3 games with (DBs) and WRs making contact on 40-50 passes. Anybody who watched the games would say the same thing.”
Former NFL coach Tony Dungy looks on from the sideline during the NFL 2025 game between Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium on Oct. 19, 2025 in Santa Clara, California. (Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
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NFL officials have sparked debates across social media over pass interference calls, which have also reached the broadcast booth as Tony Romo and Cris Collinsworth were among those critical of them this year.
Former NFL head coach Jon Gruden said last December that he would want to see the league adopt college football’s rules on pass interference penalties.
“I would make it the college rule, honestly, because some of these pass interference calls are impacting the game, just one play there,” Gruden said at the time on the “Pardon My Take” podcast.
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He also suggested the call was too subjective and that the penalty flag should only be thrown if it is clear and obvious.
Fox News’ Chantz Martin contributed to this report.
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