FOXBORO — In some locker rooms, players view special teams assignments as an annoyance or a punishment.

With the Patriots, it’s a privilege, and it’s continuing to show as they make a variety of plays on a weekly basis to win games. Their consistent commitment typically begins with a Tuesday meeting with five-time captain and four-time Pro Bowler Matthew Slater, rolls into the next day’s breakdown with coaches Joe Judge and Ray Ventrone, and heats up during each practice.

The results have played a major role in the Pats’ 9-0 record, most recently with AFC Special Teams Player of the Week Stephen Gostkowski’s 54-yard game-winning field goal and Danny Amendola’s momentum-turning 82-yard punt return Sunday against the Giants.

“That’s what special teams is all about,” Amendola said. “It’s a big change in field position, and it can be an explosive play. It’s exciting, and it’s fun and it’s an important play. We all take pride in taking that very seriously.”

The Patriots famously took advantage of the Colts’ apocalyptically bad fake punt in Week 6; Jamie Collins also blocked an extra point in the 34-27 victory. The Pats also set the tone early in Week 9 against the Redskins with a surprise onside kick.

The Patriots have the fifth-best kickoff coverage unit by yards allowed, just 19.6 per return, and they’re eighth in punt coverage (6.1 yards per return) thanks in large part to Slater’s ability to blow up most plays. He is tied for the team lead with seven special teams tackles, but also stands out by consuming the lead blocker or rerouting the returner’s angle. In those cases, Brandon King (seven special teams tackles) and Nate Ebner (five) have also thrived.

They were particularly strong in an early field-position battle against the Jets, as they forced fair catches at the 17 (after a late substitution caught the Jets off guard) and 8-yard lines. They also stopped a kickoff return at the 19 and made another stop on a punt return at the 17.

“It’s not about an individual,” Slater said. “It’s about what we’ve been able to do as a team. I’ve been the beneficiary of playing alongside a lot of good players over the years and playing with great coaches. I really feel like our team as a whole matches up well with anybody in this league.”

The Patriots’ awareness was impressive during their successful onside kick against the Redskins, the first of Gostkowski’s 10-year career. They had Slater, Ebner, Brandon Bolden, Devin McCourty and Jordan Richards to Gostkowski’s right side against three Redskins. That numbers game, coupled with four special teams aces on one side, made it a worthwhile gamble.

The Patriots never admitted why exactly they called the kick, but there’s an obvious credit to the combination of diligent midweek scouting and pre-snap recognition.

“Guys come into the week like, ‘We need to make a play somewhere,’ ” McCourty said. “We might just say in the return game, whether that’s kick return or punt return if we just feel like there’s a play out there to be made. The same thing as far as the coverage teams if we feel we’ve got a good opportunity. We’ve got a lot of speed. We’ve got some guys who can make some plays. We want to make that play, whether it’s a tackle inside the 15 on a kickoff, or taking the ball off somebody on a punt.Guys definitely look for an advantage and try to make a play in the kicking area.”

Bill Belichick had a heavy hand in special teams during a vast majority of his first decade in the NFL with the Lions, Broncos and Giants, and his players are always impressed with his ability to lead special teams meetings from time to time. He also spends good chunks of practice overseeing Judge’s unit. And when the Pats have upwards of eight or nine healthy safeties on the roster, including the practice squad, it’s not because Belichick fears a positional plague. It’s because he works like mad to assemble the best collection of special teams talent, regardless of their positional designation in Madden.

“It starts with our head coach and his belief in the kicking game and the type of players he brings in here,” Slater said. “Obviously, Joe and Ray do a great job of preparing us, and the guys are buying into the importance of the kicking game. I think that really is what sets us apart. Guys truly believe in it, and they put a lot of time and energy toward it. We’ve been able to make some plays as a result of that.”

Judge has made a seamless transition in his first season after Scott O’Brien’s retirement, and that wasn’t an easy task. Last season, the Patriots blocked a franchise-record four kicks; Julian Edelman (punt-return touchdown against the Broncos), punter Ryan Allen (4-of-5 punts against the Chargers downed inside the 13-yard line) and defensive tackle Chris Jones (blocked field goal to beat the Jets) all earned Player of the Week honors.

Conversely, the Bills, who visit Gillette Stadium on Monday night, have been flagged for a league-high 20 special teams penalties. The Chargers have returned a season’s worth of punt returns for 1 total yard. The Giants blew a game against the Saints by failing to send a last-minute punt out of bounds, which ultimately led to the decisive field goal at the buzzer.

The Pats prey on that sloppiness, and they’re winning games because of their high-level execution.

“Every time we take the field, that’s our mentality,” Slater said. “We only get so many opportunities, 20-25 snaps a game, and we really feel like each and every one of them can change the game.”