Patriots' Jerod Mayo Declines to Explain Not Going for 2 Before OT in Loss to Titans

The New England Patriots nearly pulled off an improbable victory over the Tennessee Titans before falling in overtime by the score of 20-17.

When speaking to reporters after the loss, Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo didn't want to discuss going for a potential game-winning two-point conversion following the team's last-second touchdown to tie the contest.

"I don't want to get into that," Mayo said, via Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. "It's a good question. I just don't want to get into it now."

On the final play of the fourth quarter with New England trailing by seven points, rookie quarterback Drake Maye danced around the pocket before finding Rhamondre Stevenson in the end zone as he was falling down.

Mayo opted to kick an extra point and tie the score instead of attempting a two-point conversion to decide the winner. The Titans kicked a field goal on their opening possession of overtime, while Maye was picked off on New England's ensuing drive to wrap up the game.

The first-year quarterback's conditioning may have impacted the decision to go for two, as Maye admitted that he was still catching his breath after extending the play to keep New England's hopes alive.

"Shoot, I was just trying to catch my breath," Maye said after the game, per ESPN's Mike Reiss. "I couldn't even think about it. I think just looking back on it, it's easy to say — we're out there that long, on such a high-intensity drive, I think it's hard to go for 2. I think it's easy to look back and say that now."

Although the Patriots fell to 2-7 with Sunday's defeat, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft has been a source of long-term optimism for the team.

In five appearances this season, Maye has completed 65.6 percent of his throws for 770 yards and six touchdowns to go along with four interceptions. He's also showcased the ability to make plays with his legs, adding 209 yards and another score on the ground.

If New England experiences a similar situation moving forward, Mayo could change his mind regarding a potential two-point conversion after the loss to Tennessee.