Having just given up another touchdown to fall behind 37-7 against the Los Angeles Chargers, the New England Patriots’ supporters had seen enough.

For the first time this season, Gillette Stadium heard noticeable chants calling for the dismissal of head coach Jerod Mayo.

The “Fire Mayo” chorus erupted on several occasions over the final 11 minutes on Saturday afternoon, adding insult to injury for the Patriots’ first-year coach.

Not only did he suffer the worst defeat of his tenure — the Chargers went on to add another field goal to finalize the score at 40-7 — the team’s supporters also expressed their feelings for all the world, and the franchise’s ownership, to hear.

Tensions running high in light of New England dropping to 3-13 in embarrassing fashion was understandable. And yet, not everybody agreed with the way those frustrations were expressed.

After the game, the Patriots’ players started circling the wagons around their embattled coach.

“A lot of fans are, I get it, they’re pissed off. They pay their money — season tickets — to see the Patriots” said defensive tackle Davon Godchaux. “This was something a wise man told me, and I’m just sharing it with you guys: ‘I’m okay with the Patriots rebuild because I saw success for the last 20 years here.’ So, I’m OK. But a lot of people can’t take that.

“I know we don’t tank around here; we still want to win football games. But the ‘Fire Mayo’ chant is just ridiculous. The guy’s first year, first season. It’s not going to be golden. We didn’t expect to go win a Super Bowl this year. I get it. Nobody wants to get beat 40-7, but the ‘Fire Mayo’ chant is just ridiculous.”

One of the most experienced players on the Patriots defense, Godchaux has been a vocal supporter of Mayo throughout the season. The same is true for rookie quarterback Drake Maye, who threw his support behind both his head coach and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt on Saturday.

“They’re still bringing it every week,” Maye said. “I think that’s the biggest thing you see. They’re not quitting. They’re still coaching us hard since Week 1. They’re still studying film as hard. We’re still meeting as hard. The biggest thing was you don’t see those guys quitting.”

A former linebacker and team captain with the Patriots, Mayo joined their coaching staff in 2019. According to team owner Robert Kraft, he already knew at that time that he would eventually succeed long-time head coach Bill Belichick.

The succession plan was put into motion this offseason, after Belichick and the Patriots decided to part ways following a 4-12 campaign. Mayo, who exclusively served as a position coach in his five previous years with the club, was announced as head coach in January.

Since then, he has overseen a rebuilding process that has not been smooth sailing. For wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, “patience” is therefore the theme of the season.

“It’s a process and just doesn’t happen overnight,” Bourne said after the loss to the Chargers. “We have a job to do as players and the staff have a job to do. Not trying to look too far ahead, but that’s what they’re doing: trying to evaluate who’s going to be here, who’s not. That’s how this business works. So, just in advance, give us some patience and we’ll keep working.”

As running back Rhamondre Stevenson pointed out, however, the pressure should be distributed equally between coaches and players. The latter group needs to look the part, too.

“We just need to go out there and show no quit,” he said. “As a team, we need to show we’re behind everybody on our coaching staff and go out there and finish.”

Mayo himself expressed understanding for fans being unhappy with the current product on the field. Asked about the chants during his postgame press conference, he also offered a simple solution on how to address those concerns.

“You hear those things, but at the same time, they paid to sit in the seats,” he said. “We’ve got to play better. If we play better, we don’t have to hear that stuff.”