Under Bill Belichick, the Patriots were a force to be reckoned with. Winning six Super Bowl titles, the most under any head coach in the NFL. These days, the Patriots are looking like a team trying to chase its past glory. Although there were shouts of the Patriots falling off after Belichick decided to leave New England last season. They have found themselves struggling to get off the bottom of their division.

After losing their sixth game in a row this season, Jerod Mayo, the man who replaced Belichick, decided to throw his team under the bus on Sunday. Calling his team ‘soft’ for not running the football and stopping their opponents from doing so. Mayo’s comments didn’t go down well for the former Patriots coach.

Appearing on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Belichick stood up for the Patriots defensive players, saying he felt “hurt for those guys.” Among those defensive players that the 72-year-old mentioned were Anfernee Jennings, Jahlani Tavai, Kyle Dugger, Marcus Jones, Christian Gonzalez, Deatrich Wise, Davon Godchaux, Keion White, and Marte Mapu.

Belichick further spoke how most of them decided to follow his mantra to “ignore the noise.” Patriots LB Jahlani Tavai, who has recorded 42 tackles after seven weeks, said how they are looking to prepare for their next game instead of putting their head around Mayo’s comments. “If you listen to Mayo’s whole quote, he talked about what he sees as a tough football team, and it’s stopping the run, covering kicks, and we always talk about that. It is what it is. Today’s a new day, it’s Wednesday, and we’re excited for the Jets.”

Well, Tavai wasn’t the only player who was willing to shut the critics by focusing on their next game, as LB Anfernee Jennings also shared the same views. “I’m not too concerned with how the media is trying to twist it. I’m just worried about this week. We’re going to attack the week.” Apart from those players, the Patriots coach Jerod Mayo also decided to respond and back his comments post Belichick’s comments.

Jerod Mayo shuts down Bill Belichick’s criticism and reiterates his preparation for next week

Bill Belichick didn’t just stop on his comments made in “The Pat McAfee Show,” as he went into a rampage against the man who replaced him in Foxborough. Catching up with Jim Gray and Tom Brady on the Let’s Go podcast, Belichick said, “I think when you criticize your team publicly like that, it doesn’t always go over well. Now, every coach has their own style, and maybe sometimes that can be effective, and all, but ultimately I always felt like when a team played bad, that was my responsibility too.”

On the back of those comments by Belichick, Mayo decided to look forward instead of getting into a verbal spat, “Like I said, my main focus is the guys inside of this building. Not only the players, but the coaches and the rest of the staff. As soon as we turn thing around, then we’ll be OK.” Although the Patriots don’t look like a team that can save their season in the following weeks.

Mayo did express that his focus currently lies on the Jets game next weekend: “The message for those guys, 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 look, I take all the blame. It’s fine. It’s moving onto the Jets.” Well, the Jets clash next week would be a chance to earn some salvation in a season that is going nowhere.

Will the Patriots be able to turn their season around? Or does it pile more misery on Jerod Mayo as he continues to learn the patches of being a head coach in the NFL? We will find out soon as the Patriots welcome the Jets, who are facing their own struggles, having lost 4 in a row.