Daniel Ekuale is seeing guys give up. Jerod Mayo isn’t seeing it the same way.
The veteran defensive tackle was the latest in what’s becoming a chorus of internal voices calling out the state of things in New England. It was always expected that this year would have its share of bumpiness, but Saturday’s 40-7 drubbing at the hands of the Chargers was undoubtedly the low point.
“I feel like towards the end of the 4th quarter, some of the guys just give up, and some guys play to the end of the whistle,” Ekuale said, via The Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan. “To speak for myself, I’ve seen a lot of stuff out there. It feels like a lot of guys start giving up when things get hard.
“…I just feel like guys gotta buy into what we’re doing here. Like, we know we’re gonna hit adversity. That’s what builds character. I feel like when we hit adversity, that’s when we’ve got to come together and try to finish things the right way and play together.”
The talent chasm between the Patriots and other teams isn’t on Mayo. But if effort is lacking, that does become a referendum on the coach – fairly or unfairly.
Mayo, who had “Fire Mayo” chants rained down on him as Saturday’s disaster was reaching a merciful end, responded to Ekuale’s remarks Monday in his final appearance of the season on “The Greg Hill Show.”
“I mean look, there were a couple field goal blocks that guys didn't get their hands up, but besides that I felt like the effort was good,” Mayo said. “And it is hard, (Wiggy) you used to be a player, it’s hard when the score kind of gets out of control like that to keep pushing on. And I would say the majority, most of, if not all, the guys were still going out there and trying to make a play.”
Effort will be an interesting thing to watch in the final game of the season, which will be Sunday against a Bills team miles better than the Patriots but also likely to rest some players.
The Patriots also could have some different looks on the roster. Mayo has said “everything is on the table” in terms of whether Drake Maye will even play, so it is possible that younger players and guys with a lot to prove could get some run in the finale.
Perhaps a shakeup in personnel will be what the Patriots need to have a satisfactory amount of life in the last game. After all, shakeups all but certainly will be coming in the offseason, so might as well start now.