Matthew Slater Scores First Career Touchdown Off Patriots Blocked Punt Vs. Bills
BOSTON (CBS) -- Matthew Slater has been in the NFL for 12 seasons, but New England's special teams ace had never found the end zone. That changed Sunday in Buffalo.
Slater scored his first career touchdown in the first quarter against the Bills, collecting a blocked punt and taking it in six yards for the score. J.C. Jackson came up with the rejection on Corey Bojorquez's punt, and Slater was in the right place at the right time to scoop up the loose ball and take it in to the end zone.
The touchdown gave New England a 13-0 lead at the time.
Slater was still all smiles about finding the end zone after the game.
"I stopped thinking about getting one a while ago. I'm just real thankful for that," Slater said with a giant grin. "I thank God for putting me in the position. I guess if you play long enough, you get a bone."
Slater was asked if he kept the ball.
"I sure did," he replied.
Any special teams score is big, but Slater's was gigantic considering the Patriots offense struggled throughout the game. The Patriots only put a field goal on the board after Slater's touchdown, escaping with a 16-10 win to improve to 4-0 on the season.
And the way he scored is pretty rare, too, at least in the Bill Belichick era. It's just the second blocked punt touchdown for the Patriots under Belichick, after Kyle Van Noy returned a Dont'a Hightower blocked punt for a touchdown against the Chicago Bears last season.
Slater, a longtime team captain in New England, is building an impressive highlight reel to start the 2019 season. Last weekend against the Jets, Slater made an incredible special teams play to down a punt inches from the goal line.
Making plays against the Bills is nothing new for Slater, as he blocked a punt of his own last season when Buffalo visited New England last season.
But now, the veteran finally has a touchdown on his resume -- and the football to prove it.
