Top Patriots defenders call out teammates for being 'selfish' after 49ers loss

The Jerod Mayo era was off to a great start, as the Patriots shockingly beat the Bengals in their season opener. It was far from expected nor predicted, and the drastic change in attitude on the sideline from just one year ago was immediately noticeable, which was capped off with Mayo receiving a Gatorade bath in celebration.

It appeared as though things were trucking along just the way they should be, if not better, and the concerns about Mayo being a "player's coach" were put to rest. Unfortunately, while some good vibes might still be there, things have gone downhill in the three games since.

The overtime loss to the Seahawks was disappointing but not terrible, given how close they were to squeaking out a win. That wasn't the case against the Jets on Thursday Night Football or the 49ers this past Sunday, both of which resulted in blowout losses.

The most unfortunate part of their discouraging effort over the last three weeks is the declining performance from what was projected to remain a top-of-the-league defense. The offense remains problematic and leads to most of their struggles, but the defense is not making things much easier, which was even more apparent in Week 4.

It was apparently so bad that starting nose tackle Davon Godchaux called out his teammates during an appearance on WEEI's "Jones and Keefe" on Monday, but he's not the only one to address the issues publicly.

Davon Godchaux doesn't mince words when criticizing the Patriots defensive effort in Week 4

As one of the unofficially recognized captains of the Patriots' defense, Godchaux is not one to shy away from criticizing the team when they're not doing what they're supposed to do. He was one of the leading voices in that regard during the 2023 season, and he's continuing that just four weeks into this year.

After a struggle-filled performance against one of the best offensive rosters in the league, Godchaux called out his teammates for their 'selfishness' and prioritizing making themselves look good rather than doing what's best for the team.

His points seemed to echo that of his defensive teammate Jabrill Peppers, who shared a similar stance when speaking to reporters earlier in the day.

The safety, who recorded a well-timed interception on Sunday, emphasized much of what Godchaux stressed about players trying too hard to do too much but believes the biggest issues they are facing are correctable.

The transparency from the top to the bottom of the organization this past year is certainly a nice change from what we became accustomed to during the Bill Belichick era, and it's good to hear players and coaches aware of the issues that many analysts and fans have voiced over the last month.

However, addressing the problems in public rather than behind closed doors is not ideal. The hope is that it won't continue or eventually become a problem, as that can easily be the demise of any team.

Regardless, it would be great to see if these wise veterans can get through to whichever players they might be referring to sooner rather than later. Sustaining success is not easy for a team with players who are in business for themselves. Belichick prided himself on it over his two decades in Foxboro, and Mayo has seemed to install that same mindset in the building since becoming the head coach.

The message might need to be made clearer to some if they want any real chance of getting back to one of the best defensive units in the league.

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