Patriots
“It’s not a we thing. This is a you thing.”
In the week since Jerod Mayo called his team “soft,” the Patriots head coach has received a steady stream of criticism for the tactic.
Bill Belichick is one of many who took umbrage with Mayo’s word choice. Mayo clarified that he meant they were playing soft in the moment against the Jaguars, but the backlash hasn’t slowed down in the days since.
The latest person to question his remarks is former NFL head coach Rex Ryan, who’s currently an analyst with ESPN.
“It’s absolutely brutal,” Ryan said on Sunday NFL Countdown. “It’s not a we thing. This is a you thing. It’s your problem, all right? If your team’s soft, as you put it, or whatever, stopping the run and all, that’s on you. It ain’t on these cats, right here.”
Ryan said it’s a sign that something is missing in the locker room.
He encouraged Mayo to challenge himself before he challenges his team. Ryan believes it was a comment that would have been better served in private than in public.
Ryan said the fact that the Patriots are heavy underdogs at home to a Jets team that’s won two games says a lot. He understands the situation is bleak, but he hates the word Mayo used.
“These are grown-ass men,” Ryan said, “and you’re gong to try to embarrass them in public.”
Sign up for Patriots updates🏈
Get breaking news and analysis delivered to your inbox during football season.
