When he was signed by the New England Patriots in May, former Virginia Tech kicker Joey Slye was brought on board in Foxborough to push youngster Chad Ryland in training camp. Last seaosn Ryland struggled for the Patriots and first-year head coach Jerod Mayo was hoping for some camp competition.
The veteran linebacker got that and then some as Slye ended up beating out the former New England draft pick and won the job. In Week 1 in a win over the Cincinnati Bengals, Slye hit three field goals and then Sunday, he kicked a long field goal to close out the first half for the Patriots.
It was a disastrous first half for the Patriots against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday afternoon. They trailed 20-0 with two seconds remaining in the half and with nothing to really lose, Mayo called a time-out and sent the former Hokie out to attempt a 63-yard field goal…