Sometimes the GIF gods give a gift so pure and so sweet that it can convey all emotions on a victory Monday.
That was certainly the case late in the fourth quarter of Sunday's shutout victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. The Patriots were minutes away from a 45-0 victory, and the mood on the sideline was joyous. From Gunner Olszewski's breakout performance, a Cody Davis blocked kick that Devin McCourty scooped and scored and an immaculate Justin Bethel play on a punt to pin the Chargers at the 5-yard line (just to name a few), the special teams unit put on a show.
Punter Jake Bailey has been an anchor for special teams his debut last season with his consistency and skill. In four punts on Sunday, he averaged 49.3 yards, and outside of one touchback, the Chargers were held within their own 10-yard line on his three other punts.
And Cam Newton knew just how to celebrate.
In a moment almost too pure during the CBS broadcast, Patriots fans were delighted to see Newton teach Bailey how to dab while sitting on the bench. It was hilarious and sweet moment of teammate bonding, and of course, it took off on Twitter.
While the dabbing craze may be mostly forgotten, Newton was once the master. The move originated with the Migos, but five years ago, Newton added it into his in-game celebration rotation, according to an unofficial history documented by Sports Illustrated.
This helped the move skyrocket to the point where you could not watch a game of any professional sports league without seeing at least one kid dab in the crowd. It was utterly inescapable, until, like all trends, it eventually faded away.
When Newton brought it back on Sunday with Bailey, it was an incredible, GIF-able moment, and if it doesn't perfectly capture the mood of Patriots fans on this victory Monday, we don't know what does.
