From deflated to inflated
Pats deflect presumptive talk
FOXBORO — It takes quite a bit to rankle Matthew Slater.
The affable Patriots special teamer is entering his 10th year in the league and was honored with the Ron Hobson Good Guy Award in January for his cooperation with the media.
But that doesn’t mean he loves everything reporters or analysts discuss. So as he looked over the assembled scribes and television personalities at yesterday’s press conference on the eve of training camp practices, he skillfully addressed a topic that has generated a good deal of buzz — the sky-high expectations around the Patriots — without actually referencing its exact nature.
“I think it’s quite foolish to believe and to buy into some of the things that are being said about our football team right now,” Slater said. “I honestly think it’s quite disrespectful to say some of the things that have been said about our football team to other players and coaches in this league, so we have to remember who we are.”
As the Pats begin their defense of Super Bowl LI, the lack of controversy compared to past seasons is palpable. There were no questions about Deflategate. Even after an offseason that included an Aaron Hernandez double-murder trial and suicide, there wasn’t a whisper about the former Pats tight end. Unlike years past, CNN was not at Gillette, and did not need to be.
The vacuum of drama was filled by speculation over whether this team will be some historic model of perfection. It’s been bandied about by local and national outlets alike, most brazenly by USA Today’s Nate Davis, who on Monday predicted the team will run the table for a 19-0 season.
All this, of course, before a single snap, whistle or stretch of training camp. But if that’s the biggest annoyance facing the Pats right now, consider it the NFL’s version of a champagne problems.
Belichick, predictably, said all that hype has escaped him.
“Yeah, we’re focused on one day at a time,” Belichick said. “Like I said, I guess I missed some of the big reading you guys have had. Honestly, I don’t really pay any attention to it. Sorry.”
No apologies necessary. But like Slater, safety Devin McCourty is sheepish about the Patriots being placed on such a lofty perch.
“To say before we even tackle somebody, throw a pass, that we’re going to beat everyone on our schedule, I think that is kind of disrespectful to the work and what everyone’s trying to put in to be a team,” McCourty said. “Obviously every goal from every team is to not lose. You don’t go out there and play to lose, but I think to not see anything from the team and just say they’re going to win every game and disrespect every opponent on the schedule, it’s kind of ludicrous.”
Maybe so, but for a team that returns 20-of-22 starters from its Super Bowl LI-winning squad, most of the position battles over the coming weeks will be for backup spots. This is a loaded roster with elite coaching.
Now entering his 34th year in the NFL, offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia can count himself in that latter category. He’s seen every type of expectation a team can have. When it comes to this year, he points to a simple maxim to which every Belichick team tries to adhere.
“There’s a sign on the board when you walk in: ‘Ignore the noise,’ ” Scarnecchia said. “We just ignore the noise. There’s so many other things we’ve got to do and work to be better at. I don’t know how you even can consider any of that stuff. So we don’t. We just move on.”
And if that results in the franchise’s sixth Lombardi Trophy — undefeated or not — the Pats won’t have anything to feel sorry about.