Mayo is not being held back
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FOXBOROUGH - The Patriots rotated their defensive personnel throughout Sunday's season opener against the Chiefs, but one player never retreated to the sideline. Surprisingly, it was rookie Jerod Mayo.
The 10th overall selection in the NFL draft went wire to wire at the weak-side inside linebacker spot in the 3-4 alignment while also staying on the field in sub packages.
He finished with six solo tackles and received positive reviews from coach Bill Belichick.
By unofficial count, he was the only defender to play every snap.
"He was out there for just about all of it," Belichick said. "Jerod has done a good job for us all the way through, and while there is always room for improvement, I thought he did a nice job against Kansas City.
"He was in all the different personnel groups - running situations, passing situations, two-minute, short-yardage, and so forth. I thought, all in all, he handled things pretty well."
Belichick credited coordinator Dean Pees and linebackers coach Matt Patricia for working with Mayo to prepare him for the transition from the University of Tennessee to the NFL. Mayo apparently has taken well to the coaching.
"He has worked hard to absorb a lot of information and preparation," Belichick said. "I thought that overall came together fairly well last weekend and I hope we can continue moving in the right direction."
Prize possession
The championship belt is making a comeback.Two years ago, as a source of motivation, members of the Patriots' defensive line awarded a championship belt - similar to what is seen in professional wrestling - to the player who graded the highest in that week's game.
The belt was often displayed in the winner's locker for the week, and a tally at the end of the season crowned a champion.
Nose tackle Vince Wilfork earned the belt this week, according to end Ty Warren.
Wilfork finished with six tackles in the season opener, helping control the line of scrimmage against the Chiefs, who were held to 102 yards rushing on 27 carries (3.8-yard average).
Run support
With the loss of Tom Brady, one way the Patriots can take the offensive onus off Matt Cassel is to run the ball effectively. Against Kansas City, the offensive line paved the way for the Patriots to rush 28 times for 126 yards, a 4.5-yard average."If we're not putting the whole game on his shoulders, it will be a lot easier for him," said left guard Logan Mankins. "Plus, if you run the ball, it opens up play-action [passing], and that's where a lot of big plays come from is play-action. If you can run the ball, it makes it easier."
The Patriots' top rusher Sunday was Sammy Morris, who is healed from the sternum-clavicle separation that cut short his 2007 season. Morris rushed 10 times for 53 yards and a 5-yard TD.
"That guy, he's great to block for. He makes it fun," said Mankins. "It always takes more than one guy to take him down. He's always breaking tackles and running people over. He's just a pleasure to block for."
Morris was the one blocking Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard when Pollard plunged into the left knee of Brady, ending the quarterback's season. Mankins said there was nothing more Morris could have done.
"He probably feels bad," said Mankins. "I don't know if there was anything more he could have done. He had the guy on the ground and was on him, and the guy moved forward to get to his knees and lunged forward. It's just one of those freak deals that doesn't happen very often, but when it does happen, it's a big deal."
Status quo
The Patriots did not make any roster moves yesterday. The exemption for reinstated running back Kevin Faulk expired, but a move wasn't necessary because the team had an open spot after placing Brady on injured reserve. Speaking on a conference call, Belichick said he did not have further information on the specifics of Brady's injury . . . The Patriots have an open spot on their practice squad . . . Belichick on the Patriots visiting with free agent quarterbacks Chris Simms and Tim Rattay Monday: "They visited but we didn't give them a physical and we didn't work them out. I didn't even see them while they were here. They did visit. They did come in, but we didn't end up doing anything with them. We sent them back." Simms quickly found work, however, agreeing to terms with the Titans yesterday . . . Doug Flutie's cell phone was a bit busier than normal after Brady went down. "I had a bunch of friends call and say, 'Did they call? What's going on?' I said, 'Stick a fork in me, I'm done.' I think the last year I spent with the Patriots [in 2005] was kind of pushing it because my back is getting tight. I play old-man baseball now and have fun doing that." Flutie is also preparing to host the Eastern Bank Flutie 5k road race Sunday in Natick, with proceeds benefiting the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism.Give it a shot
Mankins, center Dan Koppen, guard/center Russ Hochstein, right tackle Nick Kaczur, wide receiver Wes Welker, cornerback Ellis Hobbs, kicker Stephen Gostkowski, and linebacker Pierre Woods were among the Patriots who attended the "Matt Light
