FOXBOROUGH - Jerod Mayo referenced outside noise to open his Wednesday press conference. That noise has been building, and some, Bill Belichick in particular, have been emboldened by the Patriots' struggles and Mayo's frequent media gaffes, including the latest, when he called his team "soft" after its sixth straight loss.
Belichick, the ex-head coach of this once proud franchise, insisted he felt "bad" for some of the defensive players - referencing several by name - and that they were in no way soft. Former players I texted with found Belichick's comment funny because, as they relayed to me, he never expressed that emotion to them when he was coaching. But also hit them differently because of the timing. If you'll recall, Belichick avoided speaking about the Pats' opening-day win in Cincinnati during his many media appearances. However, he has opened up in recent weeks, using a scalpel and no anesthesia on his former team.
As the pressure continues to mount, is Belichick's criticism bothering Mayo?
"My main focus is the guys inside of this building, not only the players but also the coaches and the rest of this staff," he said when I asked. "As soon as we turn this thing around, we'll be okay. It comes down to wins and losses. That's what it comes down to. That's what you're ultimately judged by."
That is true, but Mayo and his coaching staff could build some momentum without great results, assuming tangible progress is being made. But aside from an offense getting some life with the insertion of rookie quarterback Drake Maye, every other aspect of this team is heading in the wrong direction.
"Obviously, it's a lot of noise out there," said Mayo. "And I said, we are what our record is, and we have to get better. And that ultimately is my responsibility. And look, I take all the blame. It's fine, and it's moving on to the Jets."
Unfortunately, quieting the noise isn't easy, and that "soft" statement isn't going away anytime soon. For the players, there were questions aplenty about that declaration and Mayo's later attempt at clarification.
"I think it's got to challenge you," said Hunter Henry. "I mean, this is a physical game, and you never want that to be your identity at all. So I think that's a big challenge for all of us. I think I've looked at myself in the mirror, and everybody else will look at themselves."
"I've never been called soft by a coach," said Kayshon Boutte. "I feel like it was a shot at the whole team and not an individual perspective.
"But I feel like you've got to play harder. We're tired of being 1-6, coming in and saying the same stuff every week, so I understand where he was coming from."
"For me, it don't really bother me," added Keion White. "It's all about what we put on tape. There are plays where a lot of us were playing soft, me included. So, I don't really take things personal."
But maybe he should. Perhaps they all should, because their approach to this isn't working.
GOING, GOING, GONE?
I don't know where you all get your news or what personalities you listen to or watch, but if someone tries to tell you that K.J. Osborn is fine remaining a Patriot, they missed the mark.
Standing before his locker, Osborn agreed to speak with me and MassLive's Chris Mason. Mason asked, 'Do you want to be traded?
The wide receiver smiled brightly and laughed loudly.
"Man, it's like an alley-oop," he said, laughing even harder before trying to be more measured with his response, "I mean, this is where I am. Man, this is the place that I signed to be. You know, a lot of things are kind of out of my control. But I like to be where my feet are. So today, I'm here. So, you know, now it's kind of rock with it as it goes."
The question was fair because of a social media post Osborn made after Sunday's 32-16 loss to the Jaguars. It was a screen grab of a message he got from a friend that read (apologies for the lack of punctuation. This is how it was written):
"Being proud of you is an understatement. From being told you would be inactive Wednesday and only taking 3 reps all week in practice to being told you were activated at 11 p.m. Saturday night and going in the game at another position all the way across the world in London!!
"You held your composure and did what a pro does. You are a true pro, K. I love you with all my heart. K never change who you are. You are truly special. God always got u stay down and keep working. I'm with you while we figure out this situation, and every other; no matter, you can count on me until the end."
It was initially reported that the friend was Osborn's agent, but if you follow me on social media, you know I refuted that belief after an email exchange with the player's real agent. This guy? He doesn't work for the agent or Osborn. The wideout confirmed that in our conversation. He also confirmed he's not happy.
"I mean, no, I mean, we don't want a 1-6 football team, so I can't really say - I can't just sit here and act like everything is all good because it's not. It's something that we're working through, talking to the coaches about and things like that, all that stuff is kind of internal."
Osborn started the team's first four games but was inactive in week five. While he dressed out for week six, he did not get a single snap. I wondered if he felt as though he was being underutilized.
"I mean, I don't really want to get into all that," he responded. "I can only control the things that I can. I've been a solid player in this league for a couple years now. And we're kind of going through some things as a team and as an organization..."
So, you are saying you want to be traded?
"Like I said, I'm just kind of being where my feet are, you know, a lot of things are out of my control. I can control my attitude, my effort, how I practice, how I play, and like I said, I kind of let the punches go as they go."
With Ja'Lynn Polk in concussion protocol, the Pats may be a player short this weekend, but GM Eliot Wolf should honor Osborn's desire and get him gone (as I wrote in Mike's Musings Tuesday). He is bristling at his role, and there is no sense in keeping a player who isn't part of the long-term solution here in the short term, especially if the plan to try to develop the kids remains in place (as it should). From Wolf's end, it's not personal. It's strictly business.