How Popular Ex-Patriot Felt About Finally Facing Former Team

FOXBORO, Mass. — Chase Winovich told the Houston Texans training staff not to count him out as he worked his way back from the physically unable to perform list with an undisclosed injury.

Not only did Winovich pass his physical on Aug. 3 but he suited up against the Patriots in their first preseason game at Gillette Stadium on Thursday when he registered a sack in a 20-9 win against his former team.

“It certainly didn’t make my task and my job easier coming back, but I put my mind to it and a lot of the credit goes to the training staff,” Winovich said about missing most of training camp. “… And to get that sack; that kind of a feather in my cap against my former team really meant a lot to me.”

First-year Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans knew what it meant for Winovich and former New England tight end Dalton Keene, who scored a third-quarter touchdown, to make big plays in their first game against their former team.

“Yeah, it was fun to see Chase make a play,” Ryans said. “I know he was fired up. He was excited to make a play, so it was fun to see him get the sack and Dalton to get the touchdown there. It was fun to see guys make plays.

“I’m excited. We’re all excited when our guys make plays, and it was fun to see those guys having fun, executing and making big plays back at a place where they played before.”

Winovich said he doesn’t hold any ill will toward his former team, which traded him over a year ago, and he didn’t have the chance to catch up with Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. But did see Belichick’s face on the sideline following the sack.

“He was showing a lot of emotion,” the pass rusher joked. “Like I said, it’s all love. They taught me a lot, they gave me a start in the league they believed in me. It’s business, but I got that sack though.”

” It’s special playing against a former team like the Patriots.”

Houston Texans pass rusher Chase Winovich

The Patriots traded Winovich to the Browns for Mack Wilson following the 2021 season, but due to a string of injuries that limited the 28-year-old to just eight games with the Browns, he wasn’t able to suit up against New England in the lone game between the two teams.

“Somebody told me this once, ‘Injuries are about recovery but they’re also about discovery,'” he said. “And I learned a lot about myself and the process and just really having to dig deep.

“Having this Patriots game being the first preseason game definitely gave me a lot of inspiration to say, ‘Hey, I don’t care what we need to do, how many hours we need to spend in this rehab place, we need to get back out there and prepare for this game.’ I spent a lot of time trying to get my body in a place where it’s healthy to play this game and my body’s good.”

Winovich not only registered a sack against the Patriots, but he was also on the field when the Texans stopped New England on a fourth-and-one in the third.

“It was great being out there. Honestly, it’s one of those things where it’s just football at the end of the day,” Winovich said. “Obviously, it’s special playing against a former team like the Patriots. It’s like you want to make sure you make some plays and have some fun. It was fun, it was nice being out there with those guys.”