Veteran defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale was not pleased with the New England Patriots’ defensive effort during the 40-7 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday afternoon.
It was a day where the defensive unit struggled throughout. The defense gave up 428 total yards of offense, including 147 yards on the ground. Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert went 26-of-38 passing on the day for 281 yards and three touchdowns.
Ekuale, who had six total tackles, said it felt like players gave up late in the game.
“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,” said Ekuale, via 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.
There has certainly been frustration mounting on the defensive side of the ball. Patriots second-year edge rusher Keion White continued to question his own future and the direction of the team after the loss.
A lack of talent is one thing, but if effort is an issue, that’s an even greater problem for the Patriots.
