Matthew Slater did not play in Sunday night’s dramatic Patriots victory in Denver. But his hamstring injury didn’t prevent him from handling his traditional post-win duties.
After head coach Bill Belichick addressed the team in the locker room, he ceded the floor to New England’s longtime special teams captain.
Slater, bundled up in sweats and two hoodies, used his platform to spotlight rookie kicker Chad Ryland, whose 56-yard field goal in the final seconds allowed the Patriots to leave Empower Field with a 26-23 upset.
The kick was a much-needed moment of redemption for Ryland, who missed two kicks earlier in the game and ranks second-to-last among qualified NFL kickers in field-goal success rate this season (65.