Are the New England Patriots too soft? Former coach Bill Belichick sees it differently than current head coach Jerod Mayo.

Bill Belichick does not like this criticism at all!

Jared Mayo may be the current head coach of the New England Patriots, but his clear words that the Patriots are “a soft team” were also directed at Belichick.

After all, he brought in a large number of the current players. And to call a football team “soft” is a criticism that is not without merit.

However, it is supported by the sporting record alone, because after beating the Cincinnati Bengals to kick off the NFL season, the Patriots lost six games in a row, most recently in London 16-32 to the Jacksonville Jaguars. So they have a disastrous 1-6 record.

Belichick used the stage at Pat McAfee to counter the criticism. As an ex-coach, he obviously felt addressed.

“Defensively, the Patriots led the league in rushing defense last year, yards per carry, No. 1 in the league, and this year they are somewhere in the 20s. They are the same players,” said Belichick.

And clarified: “They’re not soft. Last year they were the best team in the league at stopping the run. These guys went out there and did it even though we couldn’t score a lot of points offensively. I feel bad for the defensive players because these guys are a tough group. These guys are all tough players.”

It’s not the first time that Mayo has let loose a few barbs against his predecessor, under whom he played and coached. Most recently, he pointed to “a lot of holes in the roster. In my opinion, this is not a one-year thing. It’s going to take time to continue to build the roster,” Mayo said.