New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo decided to be candid about saying he's in the middle of the pack in run defense after his team lost six straight games this year, this time to the swinging Jacksonville Jaguars in London.
Mayo said Jaguars backup Tank Bigsby, who replaced injured Travis Etienne Jr., rushed for 118 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries, and another running back on the ground. He described the run defense as “soft.”
At times in the early game, the Jaguars simply handed Trevor Lawrence the ball rather than asking him to pass.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
New England Patriots manager Jerod Mayo during the NFL International Series against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium. (Peter van den Bergh-Iman Images)
Legendary Patriots head coach Bill Belichick used many of the same members on his defense in his final season in New England in 2023, and they had the best run defense in the league last year.
So during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Monday, Belichick didn't mince words about Mayo's “kind” comments.
“It hurt a little bit for them. To call them soft, they're not soft at all. They were the best team in the league against the run last year,” Belichick said. “Even though we didn't score a lot offensively, they came out and did it. I feel sorry for the defensive players on that team because that group is a tough group.”
Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo calls his team “naive'' after losing six straight games.
Mayo later said as much after the game that he didn't think his team was soft, but he felt they played that way Sunday.
“We're a soft football team overall,” Coach Mayo said Sunday. “We talk about what makes a tough football team, and that's being able to run the ball, being able to stop the run, and being able to stop kicks. And we didn't do any of that today. There wasn't.”
New England Patriots head coach Jerrod Mayo watches the fourth quarter of a preseason game against the Washington Commanders at Commanders Field on August 25, 2024 in Landover, Maryland. (Scott Tetch/Getty Images)
The Patriots' run game held the Jaguars to 38 total yards on 15 carries, which is not a recipe for success for any team.
“I felt like this after the game last night.” [we] I just went out there and played soft. “We're playing soft at the moment,” Mayo said Monday. Now, with that being said, do you think there are people who can turn this ship around? One hundred percent. But that comes through hard work, and hard work improves every day, both on the practice field and out in the field. ”
The Patriots are clearly a rebuilding team and need to continue to strengthen their roster, especially considering Belichick's departure after going 4-13 last year.
The Patriots acquired Drake Maye from UNC, giving them a new quarterback at No. 3 overall. Maye started the past two weeks after Jacoby Brissett started the year as the starter.
Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick addressed the media at Gillette Stadium about his resignation. (John Turmacchi/Boston Globe via Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
But since shocking the Cincinnati Bengals on the road in Week 1, the Patriots have been looking for another win every week.
Follow Fox News Digital X sports broadcastplease subscribe Fox News Sports Huddle Newsletter.
