Michael Floyd After Big Day: 'I Feel Wanted, And That's A Good Feeling'
By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- Michael Floyd turned heads across the NFL when the Patriots claimed him off waivers after the Arizona Cardinals cut the talented but troubled wide receiver. He turned even more heads when the embarrassing video of his DUI incident was released to the public. And yet Floyd still hadn't had his biggest head-turning moment in a Patriots uniform. He had two on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins.
First, Floyd powered his way into the end zone against five defenders to score his first touchdown as a member of the Patriots, showing off the size and strength at the receiver position that made him a first-round pick and an attractive pickup for the Patriots.
However, that still wasn't Floyd's most head-turning moment of the day. That would be when he obliterated the Dolphins' Tony Lippett on a devastating block that sprung Julian Edelman for his 77-yard touchdown catch. The block would have been a great play in any situation, but at the time, the Patriots were up by only six points and looking to stave off a comeback by the Dolphins. The touchdown put the Patriots back up 13 and they never looked back.
Lippett, though, did look back - when Floyd spun his head all the way around.
ICYM watch this Michael Floyd block. Absolutely blows this dude up #Pats #PatsNation: pic.twitter.com/7HQGpmYWoO
— Gus (@gusweinstein) January 2, 2017
It was an impressive effort on Sunday for Floyd, for a guy who has only been with the team for three weeks and saw limited snaps. It's clear that Floyd's time with the team has inspired him to put forth monster efforts whenever he's on the field. When asked after the game about being in New England and having success so soon after his off-field issues, Floyd refused to look back and expressed happiness for his current situation.
"I'm in a good place. I'm not looking back at the past, it's all about moving forward," said Floyd. "I'm glad that I'm here with the people around me. I feel wanted, and that's a good feeling."
To be fair, 'I feel wanted' probably wasn't Floyd's best choice of words there. Considering how ugly his DUI incident looked, and how badly he had struggled even on the field for the Cardinals, it really isn't his place to subtly complain about not being wanted in Arizona anymore. But the Patriots appear to be bringing the best out of Floyd as a player and making him prove his value on the field, which can only help both him and the team moving forward.
In just a handful of hugely impactful plays on Sunday, Floyd proved that his value as a player has the potential to be massive.
Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Have a news tip or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.