Coach Jerod Mayo calls Patriots 'soft' after sixth straight loss - ESPN

LONDON — New England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo didn't mince words to describe his team's sixth straight defeat — a 32-16 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.

«We're a soft football team across the board,» Mayo said. «We talk about what makes a tough football team and that's being able to run the ball, being able to stop the run and that's being able to cover kicks. We did none of those.»

The Patriots opened a 10-0 lead and then fell apart. They totaled 38 rushing yards, allowed 171 rushing yards as Jacksonville at one point ran 16 straight times, and surrendered a 96-yard punt return for a touchdown late in the second quarter.

Entering Sunday, the Patriots had won 59 consecutive games — since 2017 — when leading by 10 points or more, according to ESPN Research.

Some players said after the game that Mayo's critique wasn't a surprise, as he told them the same in the locker room after the game.

«Coach Mayo is not going to come in here and say something to you guys that he didn't say to us in the locker room,» said rookie quarterback Drake Maye, who was one of the team's bright spots after finishing 26 of 37 for 276 yards and two touchdowns. «He's always preaching being tough. I think he does a great relaying the message to us and the guys know.»

Maye relayed that nine-year veteran cornerback Jonathan Jones also shared a message with players in the locker room, saying they all needed to «find something» and «man up» because «what we're doing is not good enough.»

Veteran linebacker Jahlani Tavai agreed with Mayo's assessment.

«He said it well and we got to look in the mirror and understand what he's saying,» Tavai said. «If we're OK being soft, then some people will fall off, and the rest of us who