Following a Week 6 loss, New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo noted how the Houston Texans challenged his team’s toughness in the kicking game — where they made the Patriots return six kickoffs.
New England did not answer the bell in that area, or in the ground game, against Houston. The same issues then plagued the Patriots in a 32-16 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, which again highlighted a key issue with Mayo’s team.
“We’re a soft football team across the board,” Mayo said post game. “You talk about what makes a tough football team: being able to run the ball, being able to stop the run, and being able to cover kicks.