With four games remaining in the season, teams around the league are hitting various gears.
For some, it’s about rounding into form down the home stretch heading into a potential playoff run.
For others, it’s about making sure the team stays healthy as playoff seeding is all but locked in for some of the top teams in both conferences.
And for the dregs of the league, it’s about trying to establish a culture of winning while also keeping a close eye on the best players in college football during bowl season.
For Patriots first-year head coach Jerod Mayo, the gear has remained the same from day one till now, regardless of the team’s 3-10 record heading into their Week 15 game against the Arizona Cardinals (6-7).
Foxborough, MA - December 1: New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo on the sidelines late in the second quarter.Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe/Getty Images
“As a leader, I think the one thing they want is consistency, and hopefully that permeates throughout the organization,” said Mayo. “As you continue to try to build on a culture, I think the attitude of not getting too high and too low is a good mark of a leader.
“I would also say that it's a good thing that our quarterback is pretty much the same way, and hopefully that continues to permeate throughout the rest of the group.”
Regardless if it’s a massive Week 1 upset over Cincinnati, or an embarrassing loss in Week 7 to the Jaguars in London that leads to Mayo calling his team “soft” - by midweek, Patriots coaches are fully focused on whatever’s next on the docket.
“We have guys on this team that we talk about every Wednesday - it’s changing the page no matter what happens,” said Mayo. “If you ride that rollercoaster of emotion, whether it's through reading articles, social media, not playing as much or as well as you would like to play, if you ride that rollercoaster, it turns into a toxic environment. We try to keep that out of here.”
Part of that consistent messaging for this week has been the emphasis on continuing to play hard despite being mathematically eliminated from postseason contention.
“Every game, you’re not just being watched by this team, you’re being watched by every team,” veteran tight end Austin Hooper told the media on Monday. “I mean, like, what do you want to put out there? You wanna bust your ass for your teammates, or you wanna get ready for offseason?
“I mean, I’ve been in this situation a couple times with different teams. “It just comes down to personal choice. I mean, are you looking for what vacation you want to go to, or you wanna be a professional and handle your business? That’s a decision we all have to make individually.”
The Patriots remain a 6-point underdog heading to Arizona at BetMGM, while FanDuel lists New England at +6.5.
