Jerod Mayo doesn't react to Bill Belichick's critical comments, says Patriots are "On to the Jets"
FOXBORO -- Bill Belichick shared some pretty critical thoughts about Jerod Mayo this week, defending his former players after Mayo called the Patriots "a soft football team" after a Week 7 loss to the Jaguars. If you were hoping for Mayo to engage in a war of words with his former boss, that isn't happening.
Mayo didn't want to discuss any of Belichick's comments on Wednesday. Instead, he took a page out of Belichick's playbook and put the focus on this week's opponent: The New York Jets.
"The message for those guys is it's all about the Jets and we're moving forward," Mayo said Wednesday. "There's a lot of noise out there, but we are what our record is and we have to move forward. It's my responsibility and I take all the blame. It's fine. We're moving on to the Jets."
Much like Belichick uttered the phrase "On to Cincinnati" over and over again a decade ago, Mayo said his team has moved "on to the Jets" a number of times Wednesday. His message emulated Belichick's after the Patriots were blown out by the Kansas City Chiefs early in the 2014 season: It's time to turn the page.
Of course things were a little different 10 years ago. The Patriots were 2-2 when Belichick uttered that phrase, and Tom Brady was still at quarterback. The Patriots crushed the Bengals, 42-17, the following week and went on to win the Super Bowl that season.
These Patriots are 1-6 and have little hope outside of quarterback Drake Maye. But Mayo wants his team to move on from last Sunday's loss to the lowly Jaguars, block out any outside noise, and focus on the task at hand. That's putting together a good week of practice, playing a good game on Sunday, and beating the Jets.
Jerod Mayo doesn't touch critical comments made by Bill Belichick
Belichick offered up a critical critique of Mayo's "soft football team" comments earlier this week, saying that he felt bad for the players on the New England defense.
"I feel bad for the defensive players on that one because that's a tough group," Belichick said during his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show.
Mayo was asked Wednesday if he was disappointed that his former coach and boss was so critical of his approach with the team.
"My main focus is on the guys inside this building: The players, coaches and the rest of the staff," he said. "As soon as we turn this thing around, we'll be OK. It comes down to wins and losses."
Mayo hasn't seen a negative reaction to his "soft football team" comment
Mayo's "soft football team" comment caused quite a stir Sunday and had many wondering if he was losing the team. Mayo tried to walk the comment back a bit on Monday, saying the Patriots have been "playing soft," but he was clearly calling out his team with his original comments in London.
Mayo doesn't believe his players have reacted negatively to that statement.
"After the game, we were all disappointed. On the long ride home, we were all disappointed," he said. "The guys had good juice and I'm expecting a good practice.
"Look, we're on to the Jets today. We've had those conversations, and we also see it as an opportunity to go out and prove people wrong," said Mayo. "Our record is what it is, and it's about getting better. ... The guys are preparing like it's any other week and we're preparing for the Jets."
Tune in to Sunday's Patriots-Jets clash on WBZ-TV -- your flagship station of the New England Patriots. Coverage kicks off Sunday morning with Patriots GameDay at 11:30 a.m. (which you can also stream on CBSBoston.com), and switch to TV38 after the game for full reaction and analysis on Patriots 5th Quarter!
