Matthew Slater is no stranger to rookie mistakes.
In the 12th game of his career, Slater lost a fumble on a kick return early in the second half against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Just two plays later, Pittsburgh found the end zone to extend their lead to 20-10 over New England.
The Patriots never scored again.
So, as Slater watched Patriots’ rookie kicker Chad Ryland miss a potential game-tying 35-yard field goal against the New York Giants on Sunday, he could relate. And when back at the team facility on Monday, Slater made sure to share stories of his own failures with the rookie.