Patriots coach Jerod Mayo is an indication of hope amid bleak expectations forward of season

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Fast-hit ideas and notes across the New England Patriots and NFL:

1. Mayo’s mentality: Veteran defensive sort out Davon Godchaux is conscious that individuals outdoors of the Patriots’ locker room do not count on a lot from the workforce in 2024, however he is inspired by what he has seen. And it begins with how gamers are responding to first-year coach Jerod Mayo.

“The self-discipline side. The toughness,” Godchaux instructed ESPN. “He at all times tells us ‘I am taking chilly showers within the morning.’ Soccer is extra psychological than folks suppose. Folks concentrate on the bodily — you need to be robust — and naturally that helps. But when you do not have it up right here, you don’t have any likelihood.”

The Patriots open the season Sunday on the street in opposition to the Cincinnati Bengals (1 p.m. ET, CBS), and few are giving them an opportunity to win. ESPN’s Football Power Index ranks them thirty first out of 32 groups and initiatives them final to make the playoffs (6%). Why? The offense is within the midst of an overhaul, and for good motive. It has been the unit holding them again the previous two seasons — scoring simply 15.6 factors per sport in that time-frame, the second-worst mark within the NFL.

However as gamers completed the week of apply, they spoke with resolve of what they’re trying to construct, and with the hope that they is likely to be able to shock.

Such perception, some gamers say, is a results of Mayo’s “chilly bathe” strategy.

“Once you’re getting that perspective from the highest, listening to that our chief is doing the little issues and going out of his technique to put himself in uncomfortable conditions, it will get probably the most out of us as a result of we comply with go well with. We discover methods to push for that further stage, get that edge,” mentioned 10-year veteran lengthy snapper Joe Cardona, the longest tenured participant on the workforce and a first-time captain.

“Turning the water on chilly whenever you get in [the shower] can appear to be one thing little, but it surely’s one thing most individuals do not need to do. When the workforce takes on that mentality, that is part of constructing the tradition Jerod is attempting to instill.”

Whereas Mayo has taken preliminary steps to create a workforce id in his picture, there’s additionally some carryover from Invoice Belichick’s historic tenure as coach from 2000-2024.

In these years, there was an indication on the exit that reminded gamers to “ignore the noise,” which Mayo noticed first-hand from his time as a participant (2008-2015) and assistant coach (2019-2023). Godchaux, who enters his eighth NFL season and fourth in New England, has observed gamers have additionally adopted an analogous strategy beneath Mayo.

“We’re doing a superb job not listening to what the naysayers are saying outdoors in regards to the Patriots. As a result of on the finish of the day, the sport nonetheless must be performed inside the white strains. That is why you need to love the sport of soccer,” he mentioned. “There are going to be obstacles through the season, there’s going to be adversity, and I really feel like we’ve got the suitable guys to beat it.

“And it begins with the pinnacle coach, in fact. Simply being a tricky coach and understanding we’ll do arduous issues. Additionally, good. He performed linebacker, in the course of the sector, made all of the calls. It is simply the side of understanding his gamers in the case of being a head coach, however placing his participant hat on, too.”

Godchaux, who hosted Mayo as a visitor on his “Chaux Down” podcast, shared that he would run right into a wall for him.

In the meantime, Cardona, who was the NFL’s 2023 Salute to Service Award winner, in contrast constructing a workforce tradition beneath a first-year head coach to what he is skilled as a Lieutenant within the Navy.

“It is definitely a course of and there is at all times going to be a studying curve. Are we there but? Definitely not, however that is the aim,” he mentioned, earlier than highlighting what he views as a crucial a part of what the Patriots hope to be beneath Mayo.

“Acquired to do the little issues proper. Consideration to element. For me personally, it is very acquainted as a result of that is the world I come from within the navy. Once you’re cleansing buildings up and down, and so they’re getting inspected, and also you miss a hair or a speck of mud, you are doing it over once more. That is a really snug mentality for me, to do the little issues to stop the massive issues from occurring when all of it counts.”

2. Brissett & Maye: Rookie quarterback Drake Maye‘s locker is on the tip of a row, and instantly subsequent to it’s Jacoby Brissett‘s locker. 9 years in the past, there was an analogous setup.

“That was once my locker and this was Tom [Brady’s]. That is how I developed my reference to Tom,” Brissett mentioned, when requested if being neighbors with Maye helps speed up their bond.

The remainder of the row is stuffed with receivers, with rookie quarterback Joe Milton III on the reverse finish.

3. Belichick on the ‘Gram: Belichick’s announcement that he is now on Instagram had a few of his former gamers buzzing within the locker room final week.

“Everybody in right here was laughing about it. His followers are going loopy proper now,” veteran defensive sort out Daniel Ekuale mentioned. “He was at all times on prime of us, saying ‘watch out on social media with what you submit.’ However I really feel like with him not teaching proper now, it is good for him to have interaction on social media.”

4. White’s keys: Former Patriots working again James White might be on the Patriots-Bengals opener in Cincinnati, offering evaluation for USA Radio’s nationwide broadcast. The Patriots are heavy underdogs, however White says an upset is feasible if two key metrics are achieved.

“No turnovers and over 100 yards on the bottom, which can assist them management the sport,” he mentioned, including the significance of pressuring quarterback Joe Burrow to get rid of the potential for explosive performs.

5. Andrews’ leg damage: Middle/guard Jake Andrews, a 2023 fourth-round draft decide, walked via the locker room Friday on crutches and with a tough brace overlaying his immobilized left leg. Previous to that, there had been no identified particulars of what led Andrews to be positioned on season-ending injured reserve in early August after he had not participated in any spring or coaching camp practices, aside from Mayo acknowledging he sustained an damage within the offseason that required surgical procedure.

6. Trent’s take: Former Patriot Trent Brown (2018, 2021-2023) is slated to begin at proper sort out for the Bengals, making him one in every of three former New England gamers set to play important roles together with beginning heart Ted Karras and tight finish Mike Gesicki.

As for whether or not Brown might need some further motivation dealing with his former workforce, he mentioned: “On the finish of the day numerous these guys are nonetheless household. The pinnacle coach, I nonetheless need to see him succeed [and] do effectively for a very long time. I would not think about this sport private in any respect.”

7. Monetary examine: The Patriots rank 14th in money spending having doled out $257,533,425, in response to Roster Administration System, which calculates each NFL contract. They’ve spent 67% of their cap area, the second-lowest whole within the NFL behind the Broncos (64%). These numbers would have elevated had their big-money pursuit of receivers Calvin Ridley in free company and Brandon Aiyuk in a commerce come to fruition.

As for some leaguewide context, the Browns have spent probably the most in 2024 at $326,980,681, whereas the Raiders are final at $198,881,524. The defending Tremendous Bowl champion Chiefs are eleventh at $266,833,701.

8. They mentioned it: “I really feel like I am strolling into my calling. It is about growing folks. Gamers win video games, coaches lose video games, and I will do my finest to not lose these video games and put these guys in the perfect place to achieve success.” — Mayo, on his mindset teaching in his first regular-season sport

9. Do you know? Half I: Robert Kraft returns to the location of his first regular-season victory as Patriots proprietor on Sunday. On Sept. 18, 1994, quarterback Drew Bledsoe threw for 365 yards to assist lead New England to a 31-28 triumph at Cincinnati. Working again Marion Butts had two touchdowns, whereas receiver Michael Timpson (125 yards, 1 TD) and tight finish Ben Coates (108 yards) had been his go-to targets.

10. Do you know? Half II: The Patriots have misplaced three straight season openers, tied for the longest lively dropping streak within the NFL. Previous to that, the franchise was 15-2 in openers from 2004-2020.