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Patriots: Week 1 locker room celebration still felt the same without Tom Brady

By Adam Weinrib

Matthew Slater #18 of the New England Patriots keeps the ball out of the end zone during a kick off during the second quarter of a game against the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium on December 29, 2019 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Getty Images)
Matthew Slater #18 of the New England Patriots keeps the ball out of the end zone during a kick off during the second quarter of a game against the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium on December 29, 2019 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Getty Images) /
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A New England Patriots win feels just as good this year without Tom Brady. Just ask Matthew Slater!

The New England Patriots are just setting off on the wild road of 2020, with many different components they likely didn’t anticipate.

After two decades of Tom Brady, things were bound to look a bit strange the first time the Pats launched into a post-win breakdown of the huddle. Not face shields strange, but strange nonetheless.

But all in all, following a Week 1 victory in which Cam Newton effortlessly dismantled the Miami Dolphins, you might not have noticed that anything was different after the dub.

Bill Belichick handed out game balls and motivated his team further. JC Jackson got some well-deserved accolades. And Matthew Slater polished everything off with his trademark fervor.

https://twitter.com/Patriots/status/1305879628108771333?s=20

“You look back over the past six months, what’s been going on,” Slater began. “And the road to get to this point wasn’t an easy one. At all. But I guarantee you one thing: At some point, we’re going to have to continue to overcome adversity. That’s gonna be the name of this season. That’s what kind of year it’s been. … But I NEED to know … how we feel about being 1-0?!”

Then the Pats launched into a raucous celebration that looked like any other victory formation from any other typically dominant season.

If you closed your eyes and ignored the new uniforms and the notable absence, you wouldn’t have been able to tell it was 2020.

Of course, it wasn’t just a special Sunday because of the win. It also represented plenty of individual comebacks, too. Cam Newton shaking off the rust got all the headlines, but Newton wanted to make sure his center, David Andrews, didn’t feel left out of the proceedings. The new QB gave the old stalwart the chance to celebrate after a touchdown, too.

Patriots helping Patriots was the theme on Sunday, and yes, it felt an awful lot like the familiar old days.

We could get used to this — again.

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