The Patriots’ on-field product left a lot to be desired, and it’s only magnified with how the team handled the media.
It started at the top with head coach Jerod Mayo and his mixed messaging. That blew up around the league this week when he said New England was a “soft” team. The 38-year-old a day later clarified the Patriots were “playing soft.”
Mayo seemed more reserved in his Friday news conference. The rookie head coach seemed to take a page out of his predecessor Bill Belichick’s book and offered vague or indirect answers to reporters’ questions.
He was asked about Kendrick Bourne, who implied his teammates were staying out late and that led to their lethargic play last Sunday.
“There wasn’t an issue. I think it was taken out of context,” Mayo told reporters, per a team-provided video.
When asked what was taken out of context, Mayo said the team’s focus was on the New York Jets. The Patriots rightfully wanted to move on from their loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, the comment added to mounting frustration from fans who’ve heard constant mixed messages from the coaches and players.
It sounds like New England made strides to rectify those problems, but the real solution will be if the Patriots can beat the Jets this Sunday.
