Vince Wilfork has some harsh words for the current players on his former team.
The Patriots Hall of Famer ripped into New England for its performance this season during a pair of interviews Wednesday. On CBS Sports Radio’s “Maggie and Perloff,” Wilfork took aim at the Patriots for their inexcusable mental lapses, such as Jakobi Meyers’ game-losing lateral against the Raiders.
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“I think a lot has to do with the players, honestly,” he said. “It’s the quality of players and just understanding how important it is to play as a team with the system. The Patriots made a lot of bonehead plays over the past two years, especially just talking about this past year. Mistakes that they made, normally as a Bill Belichick team they don’t make those mistakes. We used to laugh at teams and we used to put those teams on the video screen and say, ‘Hey, we can’t play like this and we won’t play like this.’ But now all of a sudden, they become that team. So I think that’s a lack of focus honestly, and it starts with the players.”
Earlier this week, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer reported there was a “disconnect” between the Patriots’ coaching staff and young players this season. That seeming disconnect materialized in the surprise late-season suspensions of punter Jake Bailey and rookie cornerback Jack Jones, who talked back to Belichick while rehabbing from his knee injury, according to reports.
There was obvious tension between Belichick and Jones as well. The second-year quarterback acted demonstrably on the field numerous times to express his frustration with the offense. It got so bad, NBC’s Chris Simms says Jones told other people around the league about his unhappiness in New England.
Last month, Wilfork was one of multiple ex-players who criticized Jones’ histrionics, saying he’s “tired” of seeing Jones “throw a fit” every week.
On NBC Sports Boston Wednesday night, Wilfork called out the Patriots’ young players for feeling entitled.
“This new era of football, these kids feel entitled,” he said. "It started in college. You've got all this mess going on in college -- you're taken care of as a college player, and then you get to the league, and now all of a sudden you want the same treatment. But you have to realize, the shield, it ain't college. You have to prove yourself at this level.”
This season, the Patriots proved themselves to be a dysfunctional, middling team. Let the blame game commence.