Even if the Bills fall short of next month’s Super Bowl, they remain positioned for prolonged greatness. If that’s not enough for perennial contention, then the rest of the AFC East’s decrepitude will keep that window wide open.

Robert Kraft is taking responsibility for head coach Jerod Mayo's struggles in the 2024 season. The Patriots fired Mayo shortly after the team's Week

Kraft sure seemed to imply that it was easier to fire the greatest coach in NFL history than it was to fire Mayo.

The New England Patriots fired head coach Jerod Mayo after just one season in the role with fans furious with the organization's handling of their regular season finale after they beat the Buffalo Bil

FOXBORO — Robert Kraft stepped up to the podium and took accountability for Jerod Mayo’s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it tenure as Patriots head coach that lasted just under one year.

In a statement, Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft said it was one of the hardest decisions he’s had to make. He added that he’s known Mayo for 17 years, but the team’s performance did not go as he hoped. Kraft has called a 1 p.m. news conference on Monday, which will air live on WPRI 12 and streaming live on the team’s website.

New England's impressive performance against Buffalo's backups and third-stringers actually hurt the franchise, as the Patriots fell out of the top pick in the 2025 NFL draft and into the fourth selection. And, after the game, Patriots owner Robert Kraft fired Jerod Mayo, leaving the team without a head coach.

When Robert Kraft hired Jerod Mayo a year ago, he felt he’d identified the right person to follow Bill Belichick.

Statement from Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft: https://t.co/2YgHtzzBHK pic.twitter.com/GMXGgd768x In case you were wondering the last Patriots coach to get canned after one season Was Rod Rust. New England went 1-15 in 1990 before Rust wasd shown the door.

The Patriots fired Mayo after Sunday’s season-ending victory over the Buffalo Bills, which caused the team to lose their number one pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Despite that, the poor performance was enough for the Patriots' front office and owner Robert Kraft to fire Mayo. During a press conference on Monday, Kraft blamed one specific person for Mayo's shortcomings and the disappointing product on the field.