Did Patriots Captain Start New Tradition After Win Over Bills?

Has Matthew Slater retired the Patriots' traditional post-victory rallying cry?

Slater, New England's longtime special teams captain, typically breaks the team down with a celebratory "Aww yeah!" after each win. It's a tradition, started in the early dynasty years by Patriots Hall of Famer Tedy Bruschi, that Slater has handled since 2011.

But after the Patriots rallied Sunday to upset the Buffalo Bills and snap a three-game losing streak, their longest-tenured player switched up his playbook.

"What I saw today was not individuals, was not a team," Slater said after New England's emotional 29-25 win, as seen in a team-released locker room video. "I saw a family. And we can do something like that, fellas.

"It ain't going to be no 'Aww yeahs' today. It's 'Family on three.' "

Family.

Inside the locker room after the win against Buffalo. pic.twitter.com/Q5enR4F3Ty

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— New England Patriots (@Patriots) October 23, 2023

The postgame scene also featured one other notable change, with safety Jabrill Peppers speaking up before Slater's traditional address. Peppers is not one of New England's six captains but has emerged as a vocal leader in his second season with the team.

"Hey, Slate, before you go ahead," said Peppers, who set the tone Sunday with an interception on Buffalo's first offensive play. "Hey, fellas, that's how you respond, man. … It's not what you do in times of comfort, but how we respond in adversity, man. Way to not flinch, way to not waver, man. That's how you win a game. We earned this one."

The Patriots squandered a 12-point fourth-quarter lead against the AFC East rival Bills, but quarterback Mac Jones led an eight-play, 75-yard touchdown drive in the final minutes to secure New England's most impressive victory in years.

Tight end Mike Gesicki scored the deciding points on a 1-yard touchdown catch with 12 seconds remaining. It was the franchise's first game-winning drive and fourth-quarter comeback since October 2021.

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The Patriots now will look to build on their newfound momentum when they visit the highly talented Miami Dolphins this Sunday. Miami already has beaten New England once this season and hasn't lost to the Patriots at home since 2019.

"Don't feel like we've arrived, because we've got to tee it up and do it all over again this week," head coach Bill Belichick told the team. "But we know what we've got to do, we know how to do it, and we can do it better. That's a hell of a job this week, fellas."