FOXBOROUGH — The generation gap explained why Patriots punter Zoltan Mesko drew a blank when asked if he knew anything about the Maytag Repairman, the TV commercial character known for his lonely lament about his seldom-used services, which were hardly needed because of the quality of his brand’s appliances.

A smile creased Mesko’s face when he was told he was the Maytag Repairman of NFL punters, because his services have seldom been needed this season.