One of the best all-around leaders in the NFL is New England Patriots special teamer Matthew Slater.
He’s not only one of New England’s most important players on the field, but he always has the right messages off the field. Slater consistently has positive messages to share with the team after games, regardless of the outcome.
New England suffered a brutal 27-24 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday and missed out on its shot for a first-round bye in the playoffs. This is the first time that New England has missed the first-round bye since 2009 and it came from a loss to the worst team in the division — one that the Patriots beat 43-0 earlier this season.
Although it’s a tough pill to swallow for the team, Slater offered some eye-opening advice for anyone willing to hear it.
“Certainly, it is a different situation, but it is important for us to have the proper perspective,” Slater said, transcribed by NESN. “We have been very blessed to have the type of season we have had and being in the playoffs. A lot of teams don’t get that opportunity. Would it have been nice to have the bye? … But now we don’t have one.
“We have to do everything in our power to recover and prepare and be excited about our opportunity. Let’s not mope around and feel sorry for ourselves. We are in the playoffs in the National Football League. … Our team has worked hard, and we should be appreciative of where we are.”
This is the type of leadership that defines teams, and it’s the type of leadership that the Patriots desperately need right now. Tom Brady has been frustrated all season and there has been a lot of animosity surrounding the unit.
“Here in New England, we’ve been a little bit spoiled with having byes yearly,” Slater continued. “But look, we’re blessed to be in the playoffs, and we should be excited about that. We should look forward to our opportunity and try to seize the opportunity.
“Because look: The reality is there are guys on this team that may never see the playoffs again over the rest of their career. So we need to make this opportunity count.”
Slater has the right mentality, and the Patriots will have to carry that into their playoff matchup with the Tennessee Titans next week.
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