FOXBORO, Mass. — The Patriots got back to work Tuesday after taking a five-day vacation during the bye week.
They got a chance to rest up after a string of physical games, and they returned to Gillette Stadium to get an early start on the Steelers. The Patriots plan to practice four times before heading to Pittsburgh for a matchup of AFC division leaders.
“Break time is over, so [we’re] ready to get to work and get this thing rolling again,” Patriots safety James Ihedigbo said.
New England’s attendance was back to normal after a few players, including quarterback Tom Brady and left tackle Matt Light, took some time off from practice during the bye week.
The Patriots took the weekend to rest, travel home to see family and return to their college campuses, and now they know they’ve got to get back to reality in time to square off with Pittsburgh.
If history is any indication, Bill Belichick will have them ready to go in time for the weekend. The Patriots have won eight consecutive games after their bye week, and they’re 9-1 in such games since 2001.
“Sometimes, it’s good to have a couple days off and just get back, but now it’s time to get back to football,” running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis said. “As a team, we’re going to go out [to practice] and focus on that. Focus on having a good practice, eliminating some of the mistakes and getting better at some of the things we need to get better at.”
