Former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick believes current coach Jerod Mayo would have been better off keeping his criticisms of the team in-house.
Mayo called the team “soft” following their Week 7 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Multiple Patriots players have responded to the comment, and Belichick himself gave an initial opinion on Monday. He disagreed with Mayo’s assessment of the team and defended the defensive side of the ball in particular.
Belichick appeared on the “Let’s Go!” podcast with Tom Brady and Jim Gray. He doubled down on his stance and further expanded on it.
“You know, look, I think when you criticize your team publicly like that, it doesn’t always go over well,” said Belichick. “Now, every coach has their own style and maybe sometimes that can be effective and all, but ultimately I always felt like when a team played bad, that was my responsibility, too.
“We might’ve had that playing, but we had bad coaching that led to bad playing. So I think it’s always best to kind of take a look at yourself and do what you can do to help the team. And then, you know, if you have constructive criticism as a coach, that’s your job.”
Bill Belichick on the @Patriots, after Jerod Mayo's comments:
"I don't think those players on defense are soft. But they haven't stopped the run very well."
🔊 On an all-new "Let's Go!" with @JimGrayOfficial and guest @TomBrady
DOWNLOAD & SUBSCRIBE 🔗 https://t.co/QUR51NnnIn pic.twitter.com/bB0LbT2PAI
— SiriusXM NFL Radio (@SiriusXMNFL) October 22, 2024
The current Patriots roster continues to struggle on both sides of the ball. Most recently, the defense gave up 364 yards on 59 total plays against the Jacksonville Jaguars. They gave up 171 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
Offensively, they were able to put together some drives. Nevertheless, it still wasn’t enough to come away with the victory, as the Jaguars established a physical dominance on the field.
The Patriots are still looking for answers at a time when they have not won a game since the season-opener back in early September.
