Getty Matt Judon
The New England Patriots’ Matt Judon doesn’t make a lot of mental mistakes. The 29-year-old veteran has been lauded for his leadership and that has a lot to do with his discipline during the week and on gameday.
However, everyone has a moment or two where they can do something they regret. It seems Judon had one of those on Sunday during the Patriots’ 25-6 win over the New York Jets. Judon was whistled for an “unsportsmanlike conduct” penalty that awarded the Jets 15 yards.
Thankfully for Judon and the Patriots, the defense was able to stifle rookie quarterback Zach Wilson and the rest of the Jets’ offense. Still, Judon held himself accountable for the misstep. He called it a “selfish mistake” during his meeting with the media on Friday.
Matt Judon called his unsportsmanlike conduct penalty from Week 1 a “selfish mistake.” Said he plans to appeal the fine he received for that play.
Judon was fined $10,000 for the penalty and he plans to appeal that fine.
Matt Judon’s Impact Through 2 Weeks
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick sang Judon’s praises during the preseason.
During a presser, Belichick said:
I’m glad we have him. He’s got a lot of skill in the running game, in the passing game. He’s a very instinctive player. He seems to figure things out pretty quickly, and has fit in well with the group. Has a great work ethic. Shows up to work every day. Competes hard. I think that’s a good thing for all of us to build off of, and try to emulate the attitude and the toughness and the effort that he comes in with on a consistent basis. Whether it be game day like we saw last night, or meetings, practices, walkthroughs, whatever it is. He’s been a good addition and I’m glad we have him on the team.
Through the first two weeks of the season, Judon has one sack, 6 tackles, 2 tackles for loss and 3 quarterback hits. On many plays, Judon is a problem in the opposition’s backfield. If he can continue this trend, he’ll be worth every penny of the four-year, $54 million free-agent deal he signed with the Patriots in the offseason.
The combination of Judon, Kyle Van Noy, Lawrence Guy and Josh Uche has made for a productive pass rush for the Patriots. Unfortunately, injuries have begun to impact the front seven.
Van Noy missed Week 2’s win over the Jets with a throat injury. More missed time could be coming for the pass rushers.
There is a New Injury to the Patriots’ Pass Rushing Group
Judon sat out practice this week, but appears to be a go for the Week 3 clash with the New Orleans Saints. He was a full participant in Friday’s practice. That wasn’t the case for second-year edge rusher Josh Uche. The Michigan alum was limited during practice and listed as questionable along with safety Adrian Phillips and right tackle Trent Brown.
The Patriots added Josh Uche to the injury report, but nobody has been ruled out for Sunday.
New England’s defense could feel the absence of Uche and Phillips if they are unable to go on Sunday, but Van Noy will be back as he was a full participant all week.
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Patriots LB’s ‘Selfish Mistake’ Cost Him $10,000