LONDON — Executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said in February that the Patriots’ new regime would bring less of a “hard-ass vibe.”
Eight months later, the Patriots are left with a “soft football team across the board.”
Those were head coach Jerod Mayo’s words moments after the Patriots traveled to London and lost 32-16 to a team that, like the Patriots, was 1-5 heading into Sunday’s contest.
“Talk about what makes a tough football team is being able to run the ball, being able to stop the run, it’s being able to cover kicks, and we did none of those today,” Mayo said. “They controlled the ball for most of the day.”
The Jaguars, without top running back Travis Etienne, ran the ball down the Patriots’ throats for 171 yards on 39 carries with two touchdowns. The Patriots, with their full arsenal of backs, ran just 15 times for 38 yards despite getting out to an early 10-0 lead over the Jaguars. The Jaguars won the time of possession battle 33:15 to 26:45 one week after getting demolished by the Bears 35-16. The Patriots allowed a 96-yard punt return for a touchdown before the half.
Perhaps the drive most indicative of the Patriots’ struggles was one in which the Jags didn’t even score. They took the ball over with 7:34 left in the third quarter and put together a 17-play, 84-yard drive that drained 11:24 off the clock before turning the ball over on downs at the Patriots’ 6-yard line. Twelve of the Jaguars’ 17 snaps were running plays.
Mayo was lost on how the Patriots became soft.’
“I’m not sure. That’s something that I have to think about,” Mayo said. “We have a long flight back, and I’m not sure. It’s not like all of a sudden we did something different and now we’re a soft football team. It’s the mentality that we have to get back in the guys.”
Mayo had conveyed a similar message to his players in the locker room, so they weren’t surprised by being called out in a post-game presser.
“Coach Mayo’s not going to come in here and say something he hasn’t said in the locker room,” quarterback Drake Maye said. “I think we’re not tough. We always preach being tough. We preached it today — run the football, stop the run and covering kicks. I think he does a great job of relaying that message to us.”
Veteran cornerback Jonathan Jones also delivered a message in the locker room that the Patriots’ players need to find their toughness, according to Maye.
The Patriots’ previous head coach, Bill Belichick, was a no-nonsense disciplinarian. He wasn’t buddy-buddy with the players, and he would call out bad plays in meetings.
Mayo was praised by players early in his tenure for being a players’ coach, so it’s natural to come to the conclusion that the Patriots’ issues might rest squarely on Mayo’s approach. So, could he be harder on his players?
“There’s always a way to be harder,” Mayo said. “I think there’s always a balance in doing that. Again, six straight losses, they feel bad about it, as well.”
Linebacker Jahlani Tavai wasn’t disagreeing with Mayo’s message. But he’s also taking at it as a challenge.
“He said it well. We gotta look in the mirror and understand what he’s saying,” Tavai said. “If we’re OK with being soft, then some people will fall off, and the rest of us that want to prove him wrong will step up and make sure this doesn’t happen.”
The Patriots’ offense had their own struggles in Sunday’s loss, but Mayo was asked if changes could be made to defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington’s role as the team’s play-caller.
“I’ll go back over the film,” Mayo said. “From where I was standing, even when you’re in a right call, they’re still not doing their jobs.”
The head coach was also asked if the team had a soft coaching staff, as well.
“First, it starts with me. It’s about the mentality of having a tough football team,” Mayo said. “I have to do a better job. I’ll think it through on the plane ride.”
