Patriots Defender Responds to Jerod Mayo's 'Soft' Accusation

A New England Patriots defender opened up on head coach Jerod Mayo calling the team "soft" after its loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

New England Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones (31) is shown prior to an NFL football game, Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023, in Foxborough, Mass. The Patriots have taken a step toward maintaining some stability in their secondary, agreeing to terms on a new contract to retain free agent cornerback Jonathan Jones. A person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press on Monday, March 13, 2023, the 29-year-old intends to sign a two-year deal. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File) / Michael Dwyer-Associated Press

Following the New England Patriots' loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, the latest in a series of embarrassing defeats, head coach Jerod Mayo called the team "soft."

It was obviously a very pointed and blunt comment from Mayo, and it was one that absolutely turned some heads and drew some notable reactions.

However, Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones does not think Mayo's accusation was all that off base.

During an appearance on WEEI, Jones was asked about the comments, and the veteran essentially agreed with the first-year coach.

“That’s his opinion,” Jones said. “I always take the opinions of what our coaches say to heart. The opposite of a soft team is a tough team and we pride ourselves around here on being able to stop the run, run the ball and cover kicks. If you look at our last game, we didn’t do any of those."

While Jones didn't exactly call the team "soft," he did say that New England wasn't exactly tough.

"So, I don’t think we have any space to call ourselves a tough team based off our last performance," added Jones. "We weren’t able to stop the run, we weren’t able to run the ball and we weren’t able to cover kicks.”

The Pats surrendered 364 total yards to the Jaguars and were also punctured for 171 yards on the ground. This from a unit that ranked fourth in rushing defense last season.

Thus far in 2024, the Patriots rank 22nd in defending the run.

To be fair, New England did lose some pieces defensively, as it traded Matthew Judon and has been without linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley—who is out for the season—and defensive tackle Christian Barmore.

Still, it's difficult to come up with a viable excuse for the Pats' defensive ineptitude this year, particularly in recent weeks.

Frustrations also seem to be boiling over for the Patriots, who are 1-6.

Make sure you bookmark New England Patriots on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

• Patriots' Drake Maye Wants to Improve in Key Area
• Patriots Should Trade for Panthers Sleeper WR
• Patriots' Drake Maye Already Has Superstar Potential
• Patriots Named Landing Spot for Steelers WR
• Bill Belichick Fires Back at Jerod Mayo's Patriots Criticism