Patriots Drop ‘Public Service Announcement’ For Home Opener

There’s been very little national chatter about the Patriots, so they wanted to “reintroduce” themselves ahead of Sunday’s home opener.

New England released a hype video on social media featuring special teams captain Matthew Slater to get fans excited about the team’s Week 1 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles at Gillette Stadium.

With Jay-Z’s “Public Service Announcement” playing, Slater talked about iconic home openers featuring banner ceremonies and marquee matchups like Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. As past highlights were shown, Slater shifted the focus to the present.

“We’ve had our share of home openers,” Slater said, per team video. “Raising banners, renewing a rivalry, hosting rematches. Yeah, that’s part of it. But for us, that’s not it. Home opener is about now. It’s about everything we’ve done to get to now: The weights, the film, the reps, all of it. It’s about warming up and knowing it’s about to get real. Close your eyes and see what’s coming. It’s our home opener. This is it.”

The Patriots will welcome back Tom Brady before Sunday’s game to honor his career after he retired this past offseason. Owner Robert Kraft promised a “special, unique” affair before his team took on the defending NFC champion Eagles.

Kickoff for New England-Philadelphia is scheduled at 4:25 p.m. ET.