Bill Belichick hits back at successor Jerod Mayo for calling Patriots players ‘soft’: ‘I’m hurt for those guys’
Bill Belichick is defending his former Patriots players from their new head coach, New England’s Jerod Mayo.
The NFL legend’s replacement in New England followed the Patriots’ 32-16 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars by telling reporters gathered in London that his team is ‘soft.’
‘We’re a soft football team across the board,’ said Mayo, himself a former Patriots linebacker under Belichick.
But Mayo’s predecessor isn’t buying that excuse, as he explained to ESPN’s Pat McAfee on Monday.
‘It’s a lot of the same players from last year,’ said Belichick, who was fired after New England’s 4-13 season in 2023-24. ‘I’m kinda hurt for those guys because to call them soft, they are not soft. They were the best team in the league last year against the run. I feel bad for the defensive players on that one.’
Bill Belichick criticized Jerod Mayo’s decision to call his players ‘soft’ after Sunday’s loss
New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo addresses the media after Sunday’s loss
Belichick has his facts straight. The Patriots held opponents to a league-low 3.3 yards per carry in 2023, while finishing seventh in yards allowed.
And this season, the Patriots defense has suffered a number of significant injuries, including defensive tackle Christian Barmore (blood clots) and linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley (pectoral). The there is starting safety Jabrill Peppers, who is out indefinitely after being arrested on allegations of strangulation and drug possession.
So it was no surprise that New England (1-6) squandered an early lead, gave up 171 yards on the ground and allowed a punt return for a touchdown to lose their sixth straight game.
‘What makes a tough football team? That’s being able to run the ball, that’s being able to stop the run and that’s being able to cover kicks. We did none of those today,’ Mayo said.
Against the Jaguars, the Patriots defense allowed 171 rushing yards.
