Bill Belichick delivers ode to Devin McCourty, Matthew Slater after what could be both players' final game at Gillette Stadium

FOXBORO -- "The Patriot Way" has long been an indefinable term. By and large, it's mostly meant that smart players make smart plays in critical scenarios.

And while the dynastic days ended some years ago, the culture within the Patriots locker room has remained largely the same thanks to the players who experienced and contributed to those championships. And even though the Patriots won on Sunday to keep alive their playoff chances, the day was perhaps bittersweet for Devin McCourty and Matthew Slater.

While neither player has announced intentions of retiring at season's end, both have contemplated retirement in recent years. The 37-year-old Slater was drafted by New England in 2008, and the 35-year-old McCourty joined the team in 2010. Each player has won three Super Bowls, and neither has played an NFL down for a team other than the Patriots.

With next week's game being in Buffalo, and with the Patriots out of the running to host playoff games, Sunday may very well have been the final time that No. 32 and No. 18 took the field to play a game at Gillette Stadium.

So, after the game, Belichick was asked about the leadership that McCourty has brought to the team. He spoke at length not just about McCourty, but about Slater as well.

"Devin has done about everything a player could do for this program. Say the same thing about Matt Slater in the kicking game. I mean, I don't know if there's ever been or ever going to be a player better than Matt Slater as an overall special teams player and the leadership he brought to the team, along with Devin," Belichick said. "Devin came in as a corner, went to the Pro Bowl, moved to safety, led the defense from the safety position from his second year on. His off-the-the field leadership, on-the-field leadership is superior, as good as anybody I've ever coached at that position. He does everything right. He's done everything right since he's been here. He knows the line calls. He knows the defense inside and out, so he has total respect from everybody because of his preparation and his unselfish play.

"Same thing for Slater," Belichick continued. "What those two guys have done, what they mean to this organization, what they mean to me personally, what they've done here, it's pretty impressive, pretty elite. So, you know, I'm sure Devin would have liked to have had one more interception on the ledger today but he gave us, again you just don't see a lot of great plays that he makes, communication or adjustments he makes. When we have to change coverages, make coverage adjustments, it always runs through him. ... All coverage adjustments run through him. It's like truly having a coach on the field, having somebody that can see a problem, fix it, or at least take us out of a problem because of whatever, they sub late, the formation, whatever it happens to be. He's got great judgment and great decision-making. His decisions are quick, they're decisive, and they're almost always right. Any decision is a bad decision if you're hesitant and everybody doesn't get it. Making sure that we're all on the same page, that's always number one. Yeah, he's a special one. He's a special one."

Slater and McCourty were a common point of discussion around the locker room after the 23-21 win, but it was fourth-year receiver Jakobi Meyers who perfectly encapsulated the type of respect that Slater has always garnered within the locker room.

"That's a special one, man. You probably gotta do a whole day type of conversation to just really understand what he means to this team," said Meyers, who caught what proved to be the game-winning touchdown. "Because for everybody, he's just the guy to look to when everything's going wrong or even when things are going well, how to handle that. He's just the ultimate Patriot, for real. Just the ultimate man. And if I could grow up and be like him, I'll be proud of myself."

Of course, Slater, McCourty, Belichick and the rest of the Patriots will spend this week trying to figure out a way to solve the Bills. That won't be easy. For now, there was at least the rare moment -- rare in Foxboro, anyway -- to soak things in a bit after what could have been a curtain call for two franchise cornerstones.

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