This article basically stresses the same thing from the perspective of Marty Bennett, Van Noy, and Floyd
Mah-ty Bennett, as the Foxborough faithful have taken to calling him, is but one sentence in an important chapter of the Pats' storybook season so far. Like their newfound star tight end, linebacker Kyle Van Noy (formerly of the Lions) and wide receiver Michael Floyd (formerly of the Cardinals) have revived their careers here in New England, where winning matters and everything else matters less. Van Noy and Floyd were in-season additions who, for different reasons, were jettisoned from their former teams. But now the trio will play key roles en route to the Super Bowl, and now only the Steelers stand in their way. How does this happen? How did three players few teams even wanted arrive at the cusp of the Super Bowl, playing for the organization that has won six of the last 15 AFC titles? Simple: It can be traced to the culture in New England, widely referred to as the Patriot Way.
Bill Belichick has claimed he has never uttered that term—he once
excoriated a reporter for implying he did—but it essentially means the New England franchise is all business, all the time, which explains why the organization isn't afraid to take chances on high-risk, high-reward players other teams refuse to pursue (see: Randy Moss in 2007 and LeGarrette Blount in 2014).
At the same time, Belichick and Co. won't hesitate to trade a Pro Bowl talent who isn't viewed as a team player (see: Richard Seymour in 2009 and Jamie Collins in 2016). In the Patriot Way, the team always trumps the individual, and decisions to protect locker room chemistry are made swiftly and without emotion.
Some think the Patriot Way can be ruthless, even heartless—think cutting Tiquan Underwood the night before the 2012 Super Bowl to bring in a different player—but for many, like Bennett, it's just what their careers needed.
"I swear it seems like Bill has listening devices in their locker room," says a longtime NFL coach. "If there's a player with a bad attitude, he'll know about it and then that player will be gone. There is an element of fear on that team—the fear of getting shipped away to a place like Cleveland—but that keeps everyone in line. It keeps everyone going the Patriot Way."
