The jabs being thrown between Jerod Mayo and Bill Belichick are unsettling to one Patriots alum.
During the performance on Tuesday On “Pro Football Talk Live” Former Patriots safety Devin McCourty spoke about the aftermath of Sunday's loss to the Jaguars in London, and current New England manager Jerrod Mayo said he disagreed with that assessment of his predecessor Bill Belichick's decision to lead the team. He called it “sweet.”
“I hate to see Mayo talk and it's like, 'Well, he's kind of attacking Bill.' Bill talks like he's attacking Mayo. These two, we called Jerrod “Jerrod Belichick.” We often said he was Bill's estranged son because of his physical appearance and resemblance to Bill as a player. So I hate to see this play out, they're not very close, and neither can Jerrod. “Please don't bring Bill in as a former colleague, as a coach, as a former head coach,” said McCourty, who played for the Patriots from 2010 to 2022.
“I hope they can resolve this issue and stop these kinds of subtle shots from being passed around in the media because I hate that part.”
Mayo, a former Patriots linebacker who played with McCourty for six seasons, turned to coaching after retiring and served as the inside linebackers coach in New England from 2019 to 2023.
Mayo was named Belichick's successor in January after the franchise parted ways with Belichick, an eight-time Super Bowl champion who led the team to six championships in 24 seasons.
Despite opening the season with an upset win over the Bengals in Cincinnati, the Patriots have lost six straight, including a 32-16 loss overseas to Jacksonville in Week 7.
“Unfortunate game. We came out. We started right away. What I'm trying to say is, look, we're a soft football team overall. You run the ball. “That's what makes a tough football team, is being able to stop the run. And that's being able to cover kicks. And we couldn't do any of that today,” Mayo said. He spoke after Sunday's game.
Mayo said Monday on “The Greg Hill Show” that the team is “playing soft” and equated toughness with running the ball, stopping the run and covering kicks. He clarified this statement. According to the audacity.
He also touched on the 2023 team that Belichick will coach, saying, “Last year, we played soft at times.''
Belichick, who has been active in sports media opportunities this season, said on “The Pat McAfee Show” Monday that he was “kind of hurt by those guys” about Mayo's comments.
“They were the best team in the league against runs last year,” Belichick said. “Even though we didn't score a lot offensively, they came out and did it. I feel bad for our defensive players because it's a tough group.”
Rookie quarterback Drake Maye, who made his second career start in Sunday's loss, backed his first-year coach, noting the team needs to step up.
“Coach Mayo is not going to come in here and say anything that he hasn't told us in the locker room,” said Mayo, the No. 3 overall pick in this year's NFL Draft. “We're not tough, he always preaches being tough. He preached that today. Being tough is why we run the football, stop the run, cover kicks. I don't think he's doing that, he said. I think he's doing a great job of getting the message across to us and the players know that in his postgame speech. And I said, 'We've got to find something.'What we're doing isn't enough. We've got to be ready.'
The Patriots are once again in the basement of the AFC East and will have a chance to turn things around when they host the reeling Jets (2-5) in Foxboro on Sunday.
