The Patriots have missed the playoffs twice in three seasons since quarterback Tom Brady left the team and longtime special teams ace Matthew Slater said the loss of the “continuity and stability” from previous years has forced the team to look for a new identity.
Slater said that the team is “still forging” that identity, but that “the expectation here is for us to be winners” and that the time has come for the team to get back on that side of things.
“I think the time for excuses is up,” Slater said, via Karen Guregian of MassLive.com. “We’ve had enough excuses the last couple of seasons. It’s time for us to put up or shut up.”
Slater said he thinks “hard work, commitment, selflessness” and the other things needed for a team to succeed are present on the current roster, but that needs to show up in the standings in order for the team to show that it has found its footing after the last three seasons.
