Jerod Mayo, Drake Maye discuss decision to not go for two in loss to Titans
New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo and quarterback Drake Maye discussed the team’s decision to play for overtime rather than go for a two-point conversion at the end of regulation against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.
There are multiple major talking points that will come out of the New England Patriots’ 20-17 overtime loss to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, but one of the biggest will be the one the team made at the end of regulation. After Drake Maye’s circus play touchdown pass as time expired, head coach Jerod Mayo elected to kick the point after to send the game to overtime at 17-17, rather than attempt a two-point conversion and try to win the game in regulation.
After the game Mayo was asked about that decision, and specifically if the energy Maye spent running back and forth on the previous play played a factor.
“I don’t want to get into that,” Mayo replied. “It’s a good question. I just don’t want to get into it now.”
Maye elaborated a bit more himself, when asked if he tried to lobby Mayo to keep the offense on the field to try and win the game. “I was just trying to catch my breath. I couldn’t even think about it,” Maye recalled. “We’re out there that long on such a high intensity drive I think it’s hard to go for two. I think it’s easy to look back and say that now. But our defense is fresh and you’re coming out in overtime and trying to get a stop.”
The Patriots’ defense may have been fresh but it failed to get the job done. On their first and only drive of overtime the Titans drove the ball 72 yards in 13 plays, eventually getting the go-ahead field goal. Most of that production came on the ground, with the Titans rushing eight times for 41 yards (5.1 yards per carry).
WATCH: Jerod Mayo’s post-game press conference
Going for two in that situation is much more rare in the NFL than it is at the college level. Since 2015 (when the NFL moved the PAT back), there have been six touchdowns scored in the final 10 seconds of NFL regular season games that put the scoring team within a point pending the PAT (prior to the Patriots on Sunday).
Of those six, four teams kicked the PAT. Three of those four went on to lose in overtime. Two of the teams went for the two-point conversion – one converted and one the other didn’t and lost.
As for this Patriots team, they have had trouble scoring in those goal line situations this year. They’ve had three snaps from the two-yard line this season (two two-point conversions and one scrimmage play) and scored just once. Earlier in the game the Patriots failed to pick up one yard on two tries during a first-half two-minute drill.
