FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Quick thoughts and notes on the New England Patriots and the NFL:

1. Mayo’s mentality: Veteran defensive tackle Davon Godchaux knows people outside the Patriots locker room don’t expect much from the team in 2024, but he’s encouraged by what he’s seen. And it starts with how the players are reacting to new coach Jerod Mayo.

“The discipline aspect. The toughness,” Godchaux told ESPN. “He always tells us, ‘I take a cold shower in the morning.’ Football is more of a mental thing than people think. People focus on the physical – you have to be strong – and that obviously helps. But if you don’t have that up here, you don’t stand a chance.”

The Patriots open the season on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, CBS) and few give them a chance to win. ESPN’s Football Power Index ranks them 31st out of 32 teams and projects them to be the last to make the playoffs (6%). Why? The offense is in the midst of a rebuild and for good reason. It’s been the unit that’s held them back the past two seasons – scoring just 15.6 points per game during that span, the second-worst mark in the NFL.

But as the players finished the week of training, they spoke with determination about what they want to build and with the hope that they might be ready for a surprise.

This belief, some players say, is the result of Mayo’s “cold shower” approach.

“When you get that perspective from the top and hear that our leader is doing the little things and making an extra effort to put himself in uncomfortable situations, it brings out the best in us because we follow his example. We find ways to get to the next level and get that advantage,” said Joe Cardona, who has been with the team for 10 years and is serving as captain for the first time.

“Turning on the cold water when you get (in the shower) may seem like a small thing, but most people don’t want to do that. If the team adopts that mentality, that’s part of building the culture that Jerod is trying to instill.”

While Mayo has taken initial steps toward creating a team identity in his image, there are also some holdovers from Bill Belichick’s historic tenure as coach from 2000-2024.

During those years, there was a sign at the exit reminding players to “ignore the noise,” something Mayo experienced firsthand from his time as a player (2008-2015) and assistant coach (2019-2023). Godchaux, who is entering his eighth NFL season and fourth in New England, has noticed that players under Mayo also took a similar approach.

“We do a good job of not listening to what the naysayers on the outside say about the Patriots. Because at the end of the day, the game still has to be played inside the white lines. That’s why you have to love football,” he said. “There are going to be obstacles during the season, there are going to be adversities, and I think we have the right people to overcome them.”

“And it starts with the head coach, of course. He just has to be a tough coach and understand that we’re going to do difficult things. And he has to be smart, too. He’s played linebacker, middle of the field, and made all the decisions. It’s just about understanding his players when it comes to being a head coach, but also putting his player’s hat on.”

Godchaux, who had Mayo as a guest on his podcast “Chaux Down,” said he would run into a wall for him.

Meanwhile, Cardona, who won the NFL’s Salute to Service Award in 2023, compared building a team culture under a first-year head coach to his experiences as a lieutenant in the Navy.

“It’s certainly a process and there’s always going to be a learning curve. Are we there yet? Certainly not, but that’s the goal,” he said, before highlighting what he sees as a crucial part of what the Patriots want to achieve under Mayo.

“You have to do the little things right. Attention to detail. Personally, that’s very familiar to me because that’s the world I came from in the military. If you’re doing a thorough cleaning and inspecting buildings and you miss a hair or a speck of dust, you do it again. That’s a very comfortable attitude for me, to do the little things to prevent the big things from happening when it matters.”

2. Brissett and Maye: Rookie quarterback Drake Maye’s locker is at the end of a row, and right next to it is Jacoby Brissett’s locker. There was a similar arrangement nine years ago.

“This used to be my locker and this was Tom’s (Brady’s). That’s how my connection with Tom developed,” Brissett said when we asked if living in Maye’s neighborhood deepens their bond.

The rest of the line is filled with receivers, with rookie quarterback Joe Milton III on the other end.

3. Belichick on Instagram: Belichick’s announcement that he is now on Instagram caused a stir among some of his former players in the locker room last week.

“Everyone here was laughing about it. His followers are going crazy right now,” said veteran defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale. “He would always come up to us and say, ‘Be careful what you post on social media.’ But I think since he’s not coaching right now, it’s good for him to be involved on social media.”

4. The keys for White: Former Patriots running back James White will be at the Patriots’ home opener against the Bengals in Cincinnati, providing analysis for USA Radio’s national broadcast. The Patriots are clear underdogs, but White says an upset is possible if two key numbers are met.

“No turnovers and over 100 yards of rushing will help them control the game,” he said, stressing the importance of putting pressure on quarterback Joe Burrow to eliminate the possibility of explosive plays.

5. Andrews’ leg injury: Center/guard Jake Andrews, a 2023 fourth-round draft pick, walked through the locker room on crutches and with a hard brace over his immobilized left leg on Friday. No details were previously available about what led to Andrews being placed on the injured list in early August, which was season-ending for him after he did not participate in any spring or training camp, other than Mayo’s admission that he suffered an injury in the offseason that required surgery.

6. Trent’s opinion: Former Patriot Trent Brown (2018, 2021-2023) is slated to start as right tackle for the Bengals, making him one of three former New England players who will play an important role alongside starting center Ted Karras and tight end Mike Gesicki.

When asked if Brown might feel extra motivation from battling his former team, he said, “At the end of the day, a lot of these guys are still family. I want the head coach to be successful and do well for a long time. I wouldn’t consider this game personal at all.”

7. Financial check: The Patriots rank 14th in cash spending after spending $257,533,425, according to Roster Management System, which calculates every NFL contract. They spent 67% of their salary, the second-lowest amount in the NFL behind the Broncos (64%). Those numbers would have been even higher had their expensive pursuit of receivers Calvin Ridley in free agent and Brandon Aiyuk in trade borne fruit.

In terms of league context, the Browns have spent the most in 2024 at $326,980,681, while the Raiders are last at $198,881,524. The Chiefs, the reigning Super Bowl champions, are 11th at $266,833,701.

8. They said it: “I feel like I’m following my calling. It’s about developing people. Players win games, coaches lose games, and I’m going to do my best to not lose those games and put these guys in the best position to be successful.” — Mayo on his attitude as a coach in his first regular season game

9. Did you know? Part I: Robert Kraft returns to the site of his first win of the season as Patriots owner on Sunday. On Sept. 18, 1994, quarterback Drew Bledsoe threw for 365 yards to help New England to a 31-28 win at Cincinnati. Running back Marion Butts scored two touchdowns, while receiver Michael Timpson (125 yards, 1 TD) and tight end Ben Coates (108 yards) were his favorite targets.

10. Did you know? Part II: The Patriots have lost three straight season openers, the longest active losing streak in the NFL. Before that, the franchise was 15-2 in season openers from 2004-2020.