New England Patriots - NESN.com
The Patriots were fired up inside their locker after beating the Dolphins on Sunday, but a famous phrase was noticeably absent from the celebration: “Aww, yeah!”
New England fans saw team leaders use the rallying cry during post-victory celebrations over the last two decades. It started with Tedy Bruschi in 2003; after he retired, it was Matt Light, then Randy Moss, then Tom Brady. In 2011, the torch was passed to Matthew Slater, who proudly kept the tradition alive through the 2023 campaign. Ja’Whaun Bentley and Jonathan Jones split duties under Jerod Mayo last season, when the Patriots enjoyed just three victory celebrations.
Well, the Patriots shared a video of their locker room rally after Sunday’s 33-27 win in Miami, and the clip doesn’t show any remarks from players. After being honored by franchise owner Robert Kraft, head coach Mike Vrabel dished out five game balls and broke down the huddle by asking players to say “team” rather than “aww, yeah!”
Technically, this isn’t a confirmation of the “Aww, Yeah!” tradition being dead. For all we know, Vrabel or a Patriots captain will take over the role after New England’s next victory.
However, given Vrabel’s efforts toward establishing a new culture, it wouldn’t be surprising to learn he nixed the “Aww, Yeah!” tradition to help ensure the Patriots stop living in the past.
