Bill Belichick SLAMS his replacement Jerod Mayo’s handling of Patriots after controversial comments about team

Bill Belichick has seen his former New England Patriots decline particularly on defense after Jerod Mayo took over.

Bill Belichick SLAMS his replacement Jerod Mayo’s handling of Patriots after controversial comments about team

Jared Mayo's 'soft' critique of the New England Patriots defense did not sit well with Bill Belichick (Image via Imago/X)

Football fans knew going into this season that they will not be able to see the New England Patriots of old. For one, former legendary head coach Bill Belichick was no longer at the helm. Instead, his pupil, Jerod Mayo, was taking over. The combination of a first-time head coach and a rookie quarterback is not necessarily the best recipe for success.

A few things have shown positive signs, such as rookie QB Drake Maye and a defense that has a few carryovers from last season. That defensive unit was one of the better-rushing defenses in the league last season, suggesting that they should have been able to continue the same this season.

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However, their performances so far have been anything but, as they are now among the ten worst teams in the league. With knowledge about this, Bill Belichick was on the Pat McAfee Show to talk about his former team.

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Defensively, the Patriots led the league last year in rushing defense, yards per carry, no.1 in the league. This year, they’re way down in the 20 somewhere. It’s a lot of the same players. I’m kinda hurt for those guys, they’re not soft… I feel bad for the defensive players because that’s tough group.

Bill Belichick said on Jared Mayo calling Patriots defense soft

Belichick added that some like star corner Christian Gonzalez were on IR for most of last season. But this time, Mayo has had the second-year corner at his disposal. Add to that, several players have stayed back. Despite all that, for Jerod Mayo to call this defense soft did not sit well with the former coach.

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Bill Belichick starting to like Drake Maye

Bill Belichick once was critical about his former team drafting North Carolina QB Drake Maye. But after watching him play two full games, he seems to have had a change of heart.

Bill Belichick has begun to change his narrative about Drake Maye
Bill Belichick has begun to change his narrative about Drake Maye (Image via New England Sports Fellow/X)

I think Drake Maye’s done some good things. In the end we’ll see how it goes when the situations get a little bit more competitive.

Bill Belichick added on Drake Maye

The former coach’s praise still had that slight bit of skepticism as the rookie QB has yet to be fully tested against stud defenses. But even then, in the two full games, he has steadied himself. He did not throw an interception and improved his accuracy, which to Belichick was impressive.

But the New England Patriots will have to build on that if they are to develop him as their franchise quarterback of the future. This means they have to win games, which goes a long way to instill confidence.

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Against the hapless New York Jets and the Tennessee Titans, they have that chance. Win at least one game, and it could bode well for the future of the franchise. But first, as the 72-year-old said, the defense needs to be better.