Cowboys Veteran Sees Patriots’ Matthew Slater As ‘Best Ever’

There are a number of individual matchups that will have been talked about entering the Week 4 matchup between the New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys.

Micah Parsons is eager to face off with former teammate Ezekiel Elliott. The Cowboys expect Patriots rookie Christian Gonzalez to primarily handle the responsibility of covering CeeDee Lamb. Matthew Judon and Tyron Smith, a pair of perennial Pro Bowlers, will have their fair share of battles.

But for Cowboys special teamer C.J. Goodwin, the most highly anticipated matchup will come between himself and Patriots star Matthew Slater.

Goodwin, a career special teams player, has looked at Slater as the model of the position throughout his career. In fact, he believes the 10-time Pro Bowler's career should end with recognition from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

"To dominate at a position for that long? It doesn't matter what you do," Goodwin told Joseph Hoyt of LonestarLive.com. "If you're prolific at something for 16 years ... I don't see why he shouldn't be a Hall of Famer. That's part of the game, right? There are three phases to the game, right? I know special teams gets tossed under the rug a lot, but if you dominate at something, you should be rewarded for that. He's been one of the most dominant players in NFL history."

It's hard to argue with the Cowboys' special teams star, who has seen the Patriots captain's dominance first-hand.

Goodwin and Slater have matched up four times, most notably in Super Bowl LI when the 33-year-old Goodwin was a member of the Atlanta Falcons. In experiencing those battles, Dallas' special teams leader has developed one goal.

"I want to be the best ever," Goodwin told Hoyt. "Just like Slater."

The Patriots and Cowboys will kick off their matchup at 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday.