Jerod Mayo responds to Bill Belichick's strong criticism of the Patriots
New England Patriots head coach called his team 'soft' on Sunday after their loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. And it has led to a lot of reactions from others, including former head coach Bill Belichick. “I’m kind of hurt for those guys. Because to call them soft, they’re not soft.’ Mayo was asked about Belichick's […]
New England Patriots head coach called his team 'soft' on Sunday after their loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
And it has led to a lot of reactions from others, including former head coach Bill Belichick.
“I’m kind of hurt for those guys. Because to call them soft, they’re not soft.’
Mayo was asked about Belichick's comments on Wednesday.
“My main focus is the guys inside of this building, not only the players, but also the coaches and the rest of this staff,” Mayo said. “As soon as we turn this thing around, we’ll be OK. It comes down to wins and losses, that’s what it comes down to. That’s what you’re ultimately judged by.”
Belichick did not go easy on Mayo, speaking about it in length during an appearance on 'The Pat McAfee Show' earlier this week.
“Defensively, the Patriots led the league last year in rushing defense. Yards per carry: No. 1 in the league. And this year they’re way down in the 20s somewhere,” the former Patriots coach said. “It’s the same guys. They re-signed (Anfernee) Jennings, they re-signed (Jahlani) Tavai, they re-signed (Kyle) Dugger. Marcus Jones and (Christian) Gonzalez have been healthy all year. You got (Deatrich) Wise, you got (Davon) Godchaux, you got Keion White, you got (Marte) Mapu. It’s a lot the same players.
“… I’m kind of hurt for those guys. Because to call them soft, they’re not soft. They were the best team in the league last year against the run. Those guys went out there and did it it even though we couldn’t score many points offensively. I feel bad for the defensive players on that one because those guys, that’s a tough group. … Those guys are all tough players. They’ll strap it up and go.”
But it's also worth mentioning that Belichick's time with the Patriots did not end well. While the two sides announced it was a 'mutual parting of ways,' owner Robert Kraft revealed that he did in fact fire Belichick on “The Breakfast Club” podcast recently.
So he is definitely not willing to talk about the good, and will take any opportunity to speak poorly about the team that he feels wronged by.
Mayo is right that the focus should be on the players right now, so maybe this comment will force a change that the Patriots desperately need.
