Jerod Mayo Takes Side of His Coaches Over Players Amid Patriots Drama

The New England Patriots suffered yet another desultory loss in Week 7, extending their losing streak to six games. The fans didn't expect a competitive season this year but the performance through the first seven weeks of the season has been far below the already minimal expectations. The team is a disaster on both ends of the field, playcalling has been awful and Jerod Mayo seems to be on the verge of losing the locker room.

Things took a turn for the worse when Mayo called the team "soft" after Sunday's loss to the Jaguars. Perhaps more disappointing than the embarrassing loss itself was the head coach throwing a young team under the bus rather than taking responsibility.

On Monday morning, Mayo doubled down on his earlier statements. Per Patriots insider Karen Guregian, the first-time head coach said that it's not the coaches who are "coaching people soft".

Patriots News: Jerod Mayo Doubles Down on His "Soft" Comments

While Mayo can be accurate in his assessment of the Patriots being too soft, saying that publicly to the media is not a good look. He is obviously trying to light a fire under the team but this is a young and inexperienced group who may not respond well to this "tough love" approach.

Quality veterans like Christian Barmore, Ja'Whaun Bentley, Jabrill Peppers, and Sione Takitaki are not available on the defensive end. David Andrews, Cole Strange, and Chuks Okorafor are other notable absences on the offensive side of the ball.

At the end of the day, it is the coaching staff's job to coach the group they have. Getting the team to buy in and play hard is one of the most important responsibilities of a coach. If you can't do that, you are the only one to blame.

More Patriots news and rumors: