FOXBORO — Jerod Mayo was crushed to lose his season to a torn pectoral muscle, but his therapy has come in the form of mentoring his Patriots teammates.

The injury stung even more for Mayo after the defense’s torrid start, as the Pats ranked fourth in scoring through six weeks.

“We felt good. We felt like we had a lot of things clicking with everyone healthy,” Mayo said yesterday in his first interview since being placedon injured reserve Oct. 16. “But it’s always that next-man-up mentality. Guys have been stepping in and doing a good job.”

Mayo remained a steady presence around Gillette Stadium as something of a player/coach while also rehabbing his injury. He still watches hours of film, both alone and with teammates.

Mayo even roamed the sideline for a couple games.

“It’s good just being around the guys,” Mayo said. “We’ve been through a lot together. Even though I’m not there on the field with them, I’m still there mentally with them. I’m still making calls from the sideline.

"It’s tough at the same time knowing I want to be out there with the guys, especially building all of that camaraderie throughout the summer and things like that. I’m praying for them every week and trying to help out as much as possible.

“These guys know any questions they have that I’m around to answer. I still watch film. I’ve always been a film junky. I enjoy it. I try to watch as much as I can to try to give those guys tips. Since I can’t be on the field, I try to help them with the mental aspect of the game.”

Mayo made sure to put in quality family time, and the linebacker also launched his own line of mayo. He’ll sign autographs today from noon to 2 p.m. at Shaw’s in Brockton for anyone who buys a bottle.

Mayo, meanwhile, couldn’t commit an end to his recovery time but instead focused on his leadership role. He isn’t worried about coaching them up too loudly.

“If I see something, I’m going to say it,” Mayo said. “The guys know I’m here as a source of knowledge on anything I see. They ask me questions, and I’ll tell them things if I see it.”

For more info on Mayo’s appearance at Shaw’s, read The Blitz blog on bostonherald.com.