"I'm kind of hurt": Bill Belichick takes issues with Jerod Mayo calling Patriots 'soft' after Week 7 loss
Bill Belichick responded to New England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo's comments against his defenders after they lost 32-16 to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the third London Game of the season on Sunday. The Patriots dropped to 1-6 after this game, with their only win coming in the season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals.
During an appearance on the "Pat McAfee Show" on Monday, Belichick shared his thoughts on Drake Maye's first games with the team before saying he was hurt by Jerod Mayo calling the defense 'soft.'
"Defensively, the Patriots led the league last year in rushing defense. Yards per carry (they were) No. 1 in the league, and this year they're way down in the 20s somewhere."
Belichick added that the front office signed and retained a series of players from last season and added some to bolster the defense. He made it clear they aren't soft.
"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, and those guys went out and did 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."
"Jon Jones, Godchaux, Wise, Jennings, Uche -- those guys are all tough players. Dugger. They're tough guys," Belichick said. [:51 mark]
Bill Belichick was a defensive coach who led the franchise to multiple championships. They're starting a new era under Jerod Mayo, but the coach going off on one of their units isn't a good sign.
Bill Simmons called out Jerod Mayo before Bill Belichick's 'hurt' comments
Right after the Jaguars game finished, sports analyst Bill Simmons took to X (formerly Twitter) to call out Jerod Mayo for criticizing WR Ja'Lynn Polk. Simmons questioned Mayo over his play calling and other decisions during the game.
"Hey Mayo, we need more from you actually. Why is your D worse every week? Did Polk jump offside on a PAT to set up a 2 point? Did Polk give up a punt TD? Did Polk call all those shitty run plays? You’re only good at throwing shade at everyone else - including the previous coach," the analyst tweeted.
The Patriots are in a complex position right now and there's no clear sign of when they'll get out of it. After Bill Belichick ended his 24-year tenure with the team, Mayo was given the keys to the car, but the situation isn't the best.