FOXBORO, Mass. — It wasn’t fun to be outside in southeastern Massachusetts on Tuesday.
That didn’t stop the New England Patriots from conducting a two-hour practice in the 17-degree temperatures (with a wind chill of 9 degrees!!).
Quarterback Tom Brady seemed downright grateful for the frigid and snowy conditions, however.
“It was pretty chilly out there, but good to be out there,” Brady said at Gillette Stadium. “It’s a good time of year to be playing football. So, whatever the elements are, you know you’ve got to appreciate them because we’ve had quite a few of these types of games where the weather has been crappy, and the more you practice in it, the more you get used to it. You’ve got to try to take advantage of it if you get crappy weather.”
Brady said the team had a “great practice” in preparation for Saturday’s divisional-round playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens, when temperatures in the mid-20s are expected. The Patriots last practiced Wednesday during their bye week after head coach Bill Belichick canceled Thursday’s practice.
“I think it’s been great for everybody to get your body a chance to take a little break and heal up a little bit,” Brady said. “I think we’ve been going at it pretty hard for a while, and everyone was excited to be out there today. Like I said, it’s a great opportunity for our team to have a chance to have a home playoff game against another great team. These are the games you remember, so we’ve got to be at our best.
“We had a great day of practice today, so hopefully we can go out tomorrow and do another one, and Thursday have another one and then be ready to go Saturday because it’s a great test for our team.”
Thumbnail photo via Charles Krupa/Associated Press
