FOXBORO, Mass. — Jerod Mayo’s walk back to the locker room was slow. It was an eerie evening here. Foggy, dark, foreboding. Even though his tenure has lasted only 16 games, Mayo’s done this walk several times, the sulked retreat to the locker room after a performance that feels like rock bottom only for a new low to arrive.

But this one feels different. This one really has to be rock bottom. The kind that leads to change.

For weeks, the New England Patriots have signaled to every NFL insider with a cell phone that they really wanted Mayo to return for a second season as head coach. Robert Kraft had made Mayo the handpicked successor to all Bill Belichick built. They knew he’d have learning moments as a first-time head coach. But they really wanted it to work out. Essentially, the message was this: Just don’t make the Patriots an embarrassment, and you’re back for Year 2.

This one, though — Los Angeles Chargers 40, Patriots 7 — leaves no doubt. The Patriots are an embarrassment. They’re 3-13. They haven’t scored 30 or more points in 44 straight games. They’ve surrendered at least that many six times this season alone. They hadn’t lost six in a row since 1993 — now they’ve done it twice this year. For a second straight season, they’re going to finish with a sub-.300 winning percentage, something they haven’t done since they were the AFL’s Boston Patriots.

All of which is to say more simply: It’s time.

Time for change. Time for Kraft to admit this has all been too much too soon for Mayo and set sights on hiring Mike Vrabel to be the Patriots’ new head coach.

Kraft’s plan seemed a reasonable one once upon a time. Mayo seemed a natural successor to Belichick. He played for him and was lured into coaching by him. He could take Belichick’s core beliefs and pair them with a more modern approach. It seemed like it had a chance to work. And what a story it would’ve been.

But 16 games in, it’s painfully obvious that Mayo is in over his head. Perhaps it wouldn’t be this simple if the crop of available coaches was a group without any ties to the Patriots who may not even consider a franchise that’s been in the wilderness since Tom Brady left five years ago.

What should make it an easy decision for Kraft is that the fix is obvious. One of the two best available coaches is a Patriots Hall of Famer, a tough, no-nonsense guy who could both be a bridge to the glory years while yielding optimism about what’s to come in Foxboro. In short, what Mayo was supposed to be.

Another way to look at it is this: The best case is that Mayo turns things around, gets buy-in from players, and with more talent on his roster, yields the kind of culture Vrabel built in Tennessee while getting the most out of his teams. But if that’s the hope, why not just hire Vrabel?

Mike Vrabel is the obvious choice for the Patriots if they move on from Jerod Mayo after one season. (Eric Canha / USA Today)

There’s no guarantee most years that other free-agent coaches would have any interest in the Patriots. But Vrabel would. He could return to the franchise where he became a three-time Super Bowl champion as a driving force of the first dynasty. And, importantly, he has a good relationship with Kraft. The Pats owner wined and dined Vrabel during the Titans’ bye week last year when Vrabel was inducted, rolling out the red carpet as a thank you for all Vrabel meant to the Pats (and maybe as an apology for trading him in 2009), which at the time irked some back in Tennessee watching Vrabel bask in all things Patriots. Even if the Patriots job wouldn’t be all that intriguing to some coaches, that’s not the case with Vrabel.

At this point, what’s the argument for bringing back Mayo? Just that Kraft once saw a lot of promise in him and they owe it to him to give him a chance with a better roster? Is that enough to let Vrabel go elsewhere, then potentially have to make a switch next year if things don’t work out and have to search through a new crop of available coaches who don’t have ties to the Patriots?

That path would mean changes to Mayo’s coaching staff, potentially swapping out his offensive and defensive coordinators. Alex Van Pelt’s offense has been really bad, and somehow DeMarcus Covington’s defense has been even worse. On national TV Saturday, the Chargers had 428 yards to the Patriots’ 181. They had 29 first downs to the Patriots’ 11. They had the ball for more than two-thirds of the game.

Back at the bye that started this month, the mandate to Mayo and his coaching staff seemed obvious. Just don’t become a trainwreck at the end of the season. Show some improvement here and there even if it doesn’t add up to a bunch of wins.

But in the three games since then, the Patriots have been blown out by the Arizona Cardinals, blew a 14-point lead to the Buffalo Bills and got blown out by the Chargers.

Everything about the latest one was embarrassing. Ladd McConkey, the rookie receiver they didn’t want in the second round, torched them for two touchdowns and 94 yards — outproducing the combined season-long effort from the receivers the Patriots drafted instead (Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker). The defense was gashed and lost its best player (Christian Gonzalez) to injury. The offense stunk and got Drake Maye smoked a few times.

Even the odd parts of this team that don’t really matter are embarrassing, like Mayo telling the broadcast crew before the game that they were going to start Antonio Gibson at running back to send a message to Rhamondre Stevenson … only to then start Stevenson.

“Coach’s decision” was all Mayo could muster three different times when pressed on the move.

At this point, he’s a coach without answers. Maybe if he had another year to be a mentee under Belichick this could’ve worked out. Or maybe if Eliot Wolf’s draft class hadn’t been a total disaster outside of Maye then Mayo could yield more production with a better roster.

Instead, Gillette Stadium was dotted by empty seats Saturday, an uncomfortable reminder of where they’re at.

Kraft invited Maye’s family to watch the game from his suite high above the 50-yard line. It’s obvious the Patriots feel they have their franchise quarterback. They owe it to him to surround him with better players — and, based on the last 16 games, better coaches.

The hope was that Mayo would get better as the season went on and he learned the ropes of a new job. His team would reflect that improvement.

Instead, the Patriots found a new rock bottom on an afternoon when an uncomfortable reality set in. It’s time to make another change at head coach.

(Top photo: Kathryn Riley / Getty Images)

A Sunday night overtime thriller unfolded in the nation’s capital, and playoff implications were riddled throughout the battle between the Atlanta Falcons and Washington Commanders.

While this one came down to the wire, the Commanders were victorious with a 30-24 win over the Falcons to earn their spot in the postseason.

The Commanders improved to 11-5 on the year, giving them a playoff spot as a wild card team.

Meanwhile, the Falcons head into Week 18 needing a win and a Buccaneers loss to secure the NFC South – their only chance at reaching the playoffs as other teams hold better records. 

As noted, extra time was needed for this contest, but the reason behind it was a true rookie moment for Michael Penix Jr., the Falcons’ eighth overall pick who went up against the Commanders’ No. 2 overall pick in Jayden Daniels. 

All season long, Daniels cemented himself as an Offensive Rookie of the Year frontrunner, making tremendous plays to put Washington in the position to reach the playoffs. 

JIMMY CARTER, FORMER US PRESIDENT, REMEMBERED IN SPORTS WORLD AFTER DEATH

But Penix, in the second start of his young career, found himself down a touchdown with less than five minutes to play in the fourth quarter and a playoff spot on the line.

Penix capped a surgical drive on fourth-and-goal with a 13-yard strike in between multiple Commanders defenders to find tight end Kyle Pitts, which tied the game after the extra point went through the uprights. 

After a three-and-out by Daniels and the Commanders’ offense, who had a chance at a game-winning drive, Penix and the Falcons had just over one minute to try to get into field goal range for Riley Patterson. 

They came very close after Penix found Darnell Mooney for a 25-yard pickup that got them near midfield. However, on third-and-5 from the Atlanta 49-yard line, a pass from Penix to Mooney resulted in defensive pass interference, which allowed Patterson to at least try a 56-yarder for the win. 

The ensuing kick was on line, but it didn’t have enough leg as it landed in the back of the end zone to force overtime.

Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson (7) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Washington Commanders during the first half at Northwest Stadium. (Amber Searls-Imagn Images)

But as Penix had his rookie moment, Daniels added yet another game-winning drive to his resume after winning the coin flip and keeping the ball from Atlanta. 

Just as Daniels did against the Philadelphia Eagles last week, he drove downfield in 12 plays using his arms and legs, killing 7:18 of overtime clock to eventually find himself third-and-goal from the Atlanta two-yard line. 

Daniels dropped back to pass and lasered the ball to Zach Ertz, his trusty tight end, whose second touchdown of the night was the game-winner. 

Daniels finished the game with 227 passing yards with three touchdowns and one interception, while rushing for a game-high 127 yards on 16 carries. 

Olamide Zaccheaus was the first touchdown scorer for Washington, and he led the team with 85 yards on eight receptions. Ertz finished with 72 yards on six catches. 

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) prepares to throw the ball against the Atlanta Falcons during the first half at Northwest Stadium.  (Amber Searls-Imagn Images)

For the Falcons, Penix ended the night 19-for-35 for 223 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Drake London was the game’s top receiver with 106 yards on seven catches. 

Bijan Robinson also had 90 yards on 17 carries with two touchdowns.

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The Rams did not play Sunday, but they still won the NFC West.

A victory on Saturday over the Arizona Cardinals positioned the Rams to capture the division title via the NFL’s strength of victory tiebreaking metric.

The Cincinnati Bengals’ victory over the Denver Broncos on Saturday, plus the Buffalo Bills’ victory over the New York Jets, the Minnesota Vikings’ victory over the Green Bay Packers and the Washington Commanders’ victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday gave the Rams the tiebreaker over the Seattle Seahawks.

So the game between the Rams and Seahawks at 1:25 p.m. on Sunday at SoFi Stadium will enable Rams coach Sean McVay to possibly rest starters for an NFC wild-card playoff game that the Rams will host.

The Rams won the division for the fourth time in McVay’s eight seasons as coach. They also won in 2017 when they lost in the wild-card round, 2018 when they lost to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LIII and 2021 when they defeated the Bengals in Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium.

For the second season in a row, the Rams made a dramatic turnaround after their open date.

In 2023, the Rams were 3-6 and then won seven of their last eight games to advance to the playoffs. The Detroit Lions then defeated the Rams in a wild-card game at Detroit.

This season, the Rams started 1-4 before winning nine of their next 11 games.

“A lot of people doubted us and a lot of people wrote us off at 1-4,” quarterback Matthew Stafford said after a 13-9 victory over the Cardinals. “To be able to sit here with our record what it is right now, I feel proud of this group.”