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Kyle Van Noy talks about the change of attitude in New England

By Brandon Gimpel

FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - DECEMBER 08: Kyle Van Noy #53 of the New England Patriots yells during the second half against the Kansas City Chiefs in the game at Gillette Stadium on December 08, 2019 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - DECEMBER 08: Kyle Van Noy #53 of the New England Patriots yells during the second half against the Kansas City Chiefs in the game at Gillette Stadium on December 08, 2019 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images) /
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Kyle Van Noy gave us an inside look into the mindset of the Patriots going into the playoffs.

Sunday’s loss to the Miami Dolphins was a huge blow for the Patriots. They end the season with a 12-4 record, but with the loss, they now sit in the three seed in the AFC and have to play on Wildcard Weekend. The Patriots are now scheduled to play the Tennessee Titans on Saturday night, which is a winnable game for them, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg if they plan on making a deep run in the playoffs. Kyle Van Noy was asked on Monday about the shift in attitude among the team going into the playoffs and he gave some great insight into the mindset of the team going forward. When asked about playing the Titans he said

"“What better way than to start off with Tennessee, who we lost to last year? It’s big motivation, we weren’t happy with our performance. They’re coming into our house. What. better way to get it started for the playoffs?”"

Van Noy also talked about the uptick in the sense of urgency among the locker room. He described it as more focused and serious heading into the postseason. The team is not focusing on the disappointing loss to Miami in week 17. They are looking ahead and are ready to play whoever lines up across from them. Phillip Dorsett was asked about the team’s reaction to the loss to the Dolphins and he said they just had to ‘flush it”. There is nothing to gain from worrying about a team that they will not have to play again this year, so their focus is on Tennessee. There is no room to sleepwalk through any games in the playoffs. If they lose, it’s over.

The Patriots have not played in a wildcard game since 2009, so for the first time in over 10 years, they truly are an underdog in the playoffs. I believe they handle their business at home against the Tennessee Titans on Sunday and build some momentum to carry over into the second round.

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