Matthew Slater ‘Disappointed’ By Patriots Monday Night Flex

Entering Week 13, the New England Patriots made the wrong kind of history in terms of NFL television broadcasts.

The Patriots were originally supposed to host the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football in Week 15. Instead, the NFL flexed that matchup to Sunday afternoon in favor of an NFC battle between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Seattle Seahawks. Previously, there had never been a flexed game on Monday Night Football.

The Patriots have been bad enough this season to now take Patrick Mahomes and the star power of the Chiefs out of a primetime window.

In another low for a rough season, Patriots captain Matthew Slater reflected on the decision ahead of Week 14.

“It’s disappointing,” Slater said on WEEI’s “Jones and Mego” show on Monday. “Playing on Monday Night Football, for a lot of guys, means a lot. It’s a special, unique opportunity. You have to understand that sometimes circumstances dictate otherwise. The league had to do what (it) had to do.”

At 2-10, the Patriots are finishing out a disappointing season that likely will lead to several changes this upcoming offseason. In the course of a few seasons, New England has gone from winning championships to being removed from primetime, with Slater being one of the few Patriots players to have seen both ends.

Before they host the Chiefs, the Patriots do play in primetime on Thursday night in Pittsburgh against the Steelers.

“It’s a little disappointing but we still have a great opportunity to come out this week and play in a primetime game,” Slater said. “Let’s try to take advantage of that.”