Watch the Patriots’ first locker room celebration of 2021
"How do we feel about the first victory of the year?!"
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) September 20, 2021
Awww yeah 💯 pic.twitter.com/QwXQhsBv82
Patriots fans got their first taste of the team’s post-win locker room videos, a day after the Pats defeated the New York Jets to move to 1-1 in the 2021 season. Watch the clip above for an inside look at the Patriots just minutes after sealing the victory.
“Good work, men, good work. Good news is we can still play better,” said head coach Bill Belichick to the team. “We can still play better, we had a better week of practice, played better situational football. We’ve got to keep grinding on that, keep building on it. We did a good job taking the ball away, did a good job protecting it.”
Belichick specifically shouted out Damien Harris for “running hard,” and kicker Nick Folk, who went 4-for-4 on field goals in the game.
EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – SEPTEMBER 19: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots looks on before the game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on September 19, 2021 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Special teams captain Matthew Slater can also be seen giving his traditional “How do we feel?!” post-win speech.
“This process requires us to be in the now at all times,” Slater says, “whether it’s on the practice field, in the weight room, in the meeting room, play by play, staying in the now.”
Interesting to note: Slater acknowledged “some new members of the congregation” in his animated address. That ostensibly refers to the many free agents that came to New England in the offseason. It’s a small indication of how important it’ll be for Slater and the Patriots’ other team captains to help the new faces assimilate into the team’s culture over the course of the season, a process that can only help them play better football.
Fans will certainly be hoping to get another one of these videos after the Patriots play the New Orleans Saints on Sunday at Gillette Stadium.
MORE: Patriots Personnel Report vs Jets
Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @mattydsays. You can also email him at [email protected].
