**Belichick Disagrees with Mayo's "Soft" Label After Patriots' Loss to Jaguars**

The New England Patriots faced a tough defeat against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, losing 32-16 at Wembley Stadium in London. This loss led coach Jerod Mayo to label the team as "soft," a characterization that head coach Bill Belichick does not fully endorse.

The Patriots' defense allowed the Jaguars to rack up 171 rushing yards. Additionally, a 96-yard punt return for a touchdown underscored the team's struggles, especially as rookie quarterback Drake Maye had difficulty matching the efficiency of Jacksonville's offense. Despite the criticism, Belichick came to the defense of his players during an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Monday.

"Defensively, the Patriots led the league last year in rushing defense, yards per carry, No. 1 in the league," Belichick said. "This year, they're way down in the 20s somewhere. It's the same guys... You got Deatrich Wise, you got Davon Godchaux, you got Keion White, you got Marte Mapu, you got Christian Gonzalez, it's a lot of the same players and in some cases I would say more. I'm kind of hurt for those guys because to call them soft, they're not soft."

Belichick emphasized that the same defense was highly effective last year, excelling even when the offense struggled to score. "They were the best team in the league last year against the run. Those guys went out there and did it even though we couldn't score many points offensively. So I feel bad for the defensive players because those guys, that's a tough group," he added.

The head coach also briefly mentioned that he saw positive aspects in Maye's offensive play, expressing optimism about the rookie quarterback's development as the season progresses.

The loss to Jacksonville marked the Patriots' sixth straight defeat, prompting Mayo's critical remarks. "We're a soft football team across the board," Mayo stated. "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."

Looking forward, the Patriots aim to break their losing streak in their upcoming Week 8 matchup against the New York Jets.