On Wednesday, Patriots coach Jerod Mayo met with reporters for the first time since former Patriots coach Bill Belichick offered criticism in two different contexts regarding Mayo’s decision to publicly say the Patriots are a “soft team, across the board.”
The question came late in the press conference, phrased in a roundabout way: “You mentioned the noise at the beginning when you started talking. Are you disappointed at all that Bill [Belichick] has been vocal and has taken, it feels like, some shots with this process?”
“Look, like I said, my main focus is the guys inside of this building, not only the players, but also the coaches and the rest of the staff,” Mayo said. “Look, as soon as we turn this thing around, then we’ll be OK. It comes down to wins and losses. That’s what it comes down to, and that’s what you’re ultimately judged by.”
As to the issue of noise, Mayo addressed the subject at the top of the press conference, without prompting.
“Like I always tell you guys, I always take this opportunity to speak with you guys really with the understanding that I’m talking to the players, right?” Mayo said. “I’m talking to the players. Obviously, there are things where I’m talking to the fans as well, but the message for those guys is it’s all about the Jets, and we’re moving forward. Obviously, there’s a lot of noise out there, and I said, ‘We are what our record is, and we have to get better.’ That ultimately is my responsibility, and look, I take all the blame, and it’s fine. It’s moving on to the Jets.”
That’s an interesting way to put it, but it wouldn’t be the first time a coach used press conferences to send a message to players. That said, there was no reason for Mayo to tell the world his team is soft immediately after having the chance in the locker room to tell him they’re soft directly.
Regardless, it sounds as if Mayo will try to use the criticism from Belichick as a rallying cry.
“Just continue to use this as an opportunity to get closer as a unit,” Mayo said. “It’s not the first time that any of those men in there have had to deal with adversity, myself included. It’s a time for us to get closer while everything around you gets louder, and hopefully, we go out there and get a victory.”
The manner in which the Patriots players react to Mayo’s words, given the reaction those words sparked from Belichick, makes Sunday’s game one of the most fascinating of the weekend. The Patriots, at 1-6, have a chance to put a proverbial fork in the 2-5 Jets.
Really, if the Jets lose to New England, the Jets might be done — especially with a short-week game coming against the Texans.
While the Jets are indeed the better team, any failure by the Jets to take the Patriots seriously coupled with the Patriots getting an appropriate kick in the ass from their coach could be the thing that propels the Pats to a win.
