Jerod Mayo wasn’t wrong when he called the Patriots “soft” last Sunday. New England was manhandled by the Jacksonville Jaguars, another one of the worst teams in football.
That said, the first-year head coach probably should have kept the blunt criticism behind closed doors.
Mayo’s candor at the podium in London took the football world by storm and flooded the Patriots with negative energy, which has been growing around the team over the course of its six-game losing streak. New England players didn’t seem too bent out of shape about being called soft, but one player reportedly lamented the aftermath of the remark.
“One common theme was that Mayo didn’t say anything publicly that he didn’t already tell the team; specifically, that his view of a tough team is one that runs the football, stops the run and covers kicks, and the Patriots currently aren’t doing that,” ESPN’s Mike Reiss wrote in a column published Sunday.
“At the same time, one noted how the remarks created an unnecessary distraction for the team — a mistake from a rookie head coach. Most expressed the viewpoint that they planned to use it as motivation.”
Story continues below advertisement
New England certainly should look motivated Sunday. Drake Maye and company should be playing for pride after being called out by their coach, and they will share the field with a fierce rival that embarrassed them last month.
The Patriots and the Jets are slated to kick off their Week 8 game at Gillette Stadium at 1 p.m. ET.
Featured image via Sam Greene/Imagn Images
