Chase Winovich Records First Career Sack -- With Help From A Butterfly
BOSTON (CBS) -- Patriots rookie Chase Winovich recorded his first career sack in Sunday's 43-0 blowout win over the Miami Dolphins. As he explained after the game, the edge rusher had a little help on the play from his late grandmother, in the form of a butterfly.
In the fourth quarter of New England's blowout win, Winovich stutter-stepped his way around left tackle Jesse Davis and drove quarterback Josh Rosen into the ground for an eight-yard loss. It was his first career sack in NFL action, after he was credited with a half-sack along with teammate Jamie Collins earlier in the game.
Winovich said after the game that he knew something special was going to happen just before his sack, because he saw a butterfly fluttering above the field. As he explained, his late grandmother always said she'd come back as a butterfly, and he could feel her presence on Sunday.
"It was cool, actually. Before I got my sack, my grandmother, who passed away, she always said she'd come back as a butterfly. And I was tearing up a little bit on the field. It was literally a couple plays before, I saw a butterfly floating around and I was like, 'That's got to mean something," he explained.
"And then sure enough, a couple of plays later, luckily I came home," he said of his sack. "My teammates had great coverage and set it up for me."
The New England defense was a dominating force on Sunday, sacking Miami quarterbacks seven times while also coming down with four interceptions. They have yet to allow a touchdown this season.
"It's just something to build off of," Winovich said of the defense's performance. "I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes from here."
There is plenty for Winovich to build off from Sunday's game, and his performance also earned him a little extra cheddar. During the preseason, Winovich revealed that his other grandmother always sends him $5 and a chocolate bar if he plays well and doesn't get hurt. He was asked after the game if that five-spot may become a $10 bill this time, given that he secured his first career NFL sack on Sunday.
"It's still just $5," he said. "But money is money."