WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Practicing at a Division II college with out soccer amenities and an enrollment below 5,000 would appear to be removed from supreme for an NFL workforce making ready for its season opener.
But not the Patriots.
On Thursday, the Pats concluded their second follow at Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, the place they’ve been gearing up for Sunday’s Week 1 showdown towards the Dolphins. Coach Bill Belichick opted to fly the workforce south on Tuesday so it may acclimate to the rugged warmth it’ll face in Miami, the place the Patriots have misplaced 4 of their final 5. Temperatures in West Palm Beach have persistently hung within the excessive 80s and low 90s throughout follow, whereas the humidity has ranged between 60-70%.
“Yesterday was good. It’s good to be out here in the heat, get used to it,” Pats security Devin McCourty mentioned Thursday of the workforce’s practices. “But I would say overall, it’s been, just, normal.”.
The Patriots have been working towards on repurposed soccer and lacrosse fields, which have browned within the warmth and are far patchier than the manicured inexperienced fields outdoors Gillette Stadium. They’ve additionally constructed makeshift area aim posts tied down by rope and sandbags. But heart David Andrews doesn’t appear to thoughts.
“It’s good enough. I’ve played on worse,” he mentioned Thursday. “It is what it is. It’s obviously been good enough for me. (I) just get to play football for a living. Not bad.”
Opinions have diverse whether or not the circumstances in West Palm are markedly completely different from these the Patriots skilled throughout coaching camp practices in late July and early August, when Foxboro was one nook of New England affected by an uncommon warmth wave. Veteran nook Jalen Mills described Wednesday’s climate as “pretty much the same,” whereas defensive finish Deatrich Wise mentioned it felt far completely different to him.
The one fixed by way of the week has been the workforce’s concentrate on Sunday’s recreation.
“There’s no other distractions. It’s football,” Andrews mentioned. “Obviously, at home you’re dealing with family, things like that, other things you got going on. Here, it’s just football. It’s nice. Obviously, you miss your family and things like that but there’s good and bad things.”
McCourty added: “That’s been the focus, and that’s what I think the focus needs to be. … We’re here to play the Dolphins on Sunday. We’ve just got to keep preparing for them.”
But does McCourty like working towards away from house?
“I’m a fan of whatever it takes to win,” he mentioned.
Source: www.bostonherald.com