According to a feature from the Boston Herald, Jerod Mayo could have saved his job with the Patriots with another critical win in December.

In the statement, Kraft thanked Mayo for his contributions to the team but cited the “trajectory of our team’s performances” as the reason behind his decision.

Mayo, named Bill Belichick’s successor a year ago, was fired on Sunday after the Patriots’ 23-16 win over the Bills in the regular-season finale. The former Patriots linebacker, 38, posted a 4-13 record as head coach. Kraft added Monday he “went back and forth” on the situation over the past month.