FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The New England Patriots haven’t had much to smile about over the past few seasons, following up a Super Bowl 53 win with four seasons that featured a pair of first-round playoff exits and two seasons that ended with them outside of the postseason completely.
“Those of us who’ve been here, we have not enjoyed these last couple of seasons,” Patriots longtime special teams captain Matt Slater said Tuesday. “Football is a lot more fun when you’re winning.”
Slater and his teammates are hoping the start of training camp on Wednesday will serve as a rebirth of sorts.