The New England Patriots finished a tough season with a win. However, it wasn’t enough to keep their coach’s job.
Joe Milton III threw a touchdown pass and ran for another in his first professional game, helping the Patriots beat the Buffalo Bills 23-16 on Sunday.
By winning, the Patriots also lost out on the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft. Shortly after the game, team owner Robert Kraft announced that coach Jerod Mayo would be fired after just one season.
“After the game, I informed Jerod Mayo that he will not be returning as the head coach of the New England Patriots in 2025. For me, personally, it was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made,” Kraft said in a statement.
“Unfortunately, the trajectory of our team’s performances throughout the season did not ascend as I had hoped.”
The Patriots (4-13) broke a six-game losing streak with this win, but in doing so, they fell from having the top draft pick to the No. 4 spot, behind Tennessee, Cleveland, and the New York Giants.
Mayo spoke to the media after the game before his firing was made public. He said that draft position wasn’t something the team focused on heading into the game.
“I’ve said this over the last couple of weeks, as a player, as a coach, we always want to go out there and win,” Mayo said.
Milton finished the game 22 of 29 for 241 yards in relief of rookie Drake Maye, who played only one series. Kayshon Boutte had seven catches for 117 yards and a touchdown, and Joey Slye kicked three field goals.
The Patriots rested several key players, including running back Rhamondre Stevenson and tight end Hunter Henry, who was out with a foot injury.
Mayo described the postgame locker room as “emotional” and said that questions about his future would be answered in time. He might have already known his job was over.
“These guys have been turning the page, ignoring the noise, and just coming to work every day, and I’m very appreciative of that,” Mayo said. “Told them after the first win of the season, coaches are nothing without the players, and I just told them that again. … Also told them, today it’s all about the game.”
Mitchell Trubisky was 15 of 21 for 101 yards for the Bills (13-4), who had already secured the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs and rested most of their starters.
Quarterback Josh Allen, a candidate for MVP, played only one snap, handing the ball off to James Cook to extend his streak of consecutive starts to 115 games, including the playoffs. Trubisky played until late in the third quarter, when Mike White replaced him.
Cook rushed for his 16th touchdown of the season, tying O.J. Simpson’s Bills franchise record.
The Patriots extended their lead to 23-16 with 1:55 remaining on a 50-yard field goal by Slye. The Bills then turned the ball over on downs after White’s pass fell incomplete.
Bills coach Sean McDermott quickly shifted his focus to the playoffs.
“Everything is earned and there’s nothing given in the playoffs,” McDermott said. “And you’re going against the best every week, so we start with one week and really one day at a time and get back in here and find out when we play and take it one day at a time.”
