EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — For the Patriots, Sunday was about alternative.
Deciding whether or not they wished to return shut once more or stand victorious.
Determining whether or not they would get tossed into the 0-3 trash bin of NFL historical past or rise to 1-2.
Choosing to beat the Jets drum for a fifteenth straight time, or let Gang Green play an upset tune.
After Sunday’s 15-10 win over New York, a number of gamers credited captain Matthew Slater for stopping the staff Friday to ship that message as a part of an extended motivational speech. The Pats had simply completed a non-padded observe, one which usually runs at a slower tempo and serves to refine their sport plans and situational consciousness. Instead of easing into the weekend, Slater felt compelled to underscore the hazard that lay forward on the staff’s first street journey.
“I just felt like we were at an important part of the season, even though it’s early in the season. I try to be a football historian, and I’m aware of the situation that we’re in,” Slater advised the Herald post-game. “Teams that have gone 0-and-3 to start the season, it doesn’t bode well. So I just wanted to encourage the guys to have a heightened sense of urgency, a heightened sense of pride in what they’re doing.”
Message acquired.
“We kind of go as he goes,” Pats quarterback Mac Jones mentioned of Slater. “He’s definitely a great mentor for me on the team. So we’ve just got to keep going.”
According to teammates, Slater additionally spoke of answering a bell in a method that they had failed the 2 weeks prior. The Patriots misplaced 25-20 to the Eagles of their season opener, coming 19 yards in need of a game-winning landing. Then, they misplaced one other one-possession sport to Miami they may have tied late.
Right deal with Vederian Lowe, who performed each snap Sunday and helped pave the best way for 157 dashing yards, mentioned that mixture of frustration and desperation drove the Patriots.
“Personally, I just think that we knew. We knew we really needed this game,” Lowe mentioned. “The last two weeks, we know that those losses are on us: the ball security and not being able to finish out those drives that we should’ve. (Slater) said it best.”
Had the Patriots dropped to 0-3, their postseason would have felt shot. Since the NFL playoff discipline expanded to 12 groups in 1990, solely 4 groups — or 2.5% — have reached the postseason following an 0-3 begin. According to Vegas oddsmakers, the Pats are at the moment working by means of the league’s most troublesome schedule and can most actually be slated as underdogs heading into one other street sport subsequent week at Dallas.
“I thought we had the right approach mentally, physically. We were ready to go today,” Slater mentioned. “And look, that’s a good football team. That defense is fantastic. So for us to be able to answer the call and be ready to go, I thought that was huge.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com