FOXBORO, Mass. — Training camp is officially over for the Patriots. Just don’t tell Bill Belichick that.
While the Patriots’ last training camp practice technically ended Thursday, Belichick isn’t conceding that camp is over just yet.
“Training camp’s not over, no,” Belichick said adamantly when asked about the team’s schedule on Friday night.
The Patriots topped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 25-21 at Gillette Stadium, moving their preseason record to 2-0 and continuing to show signs of development within the team. Even so, Belichick hasn’t been overly impressed with his team thus far and sees plenty of room for improvement,
“Our team is still in a growing stage,’ Belichick said. “We have a lot of work to do. We’re nowhere close to where we need to be for the opener or for the 16-game regular season schedule. We have a lot of work to do. We’re going to stay at it. It’s not over by any means. We’re not anywhere close to where we need to be. Training camp is not over. Let me make that perfectly clear.”
With a 16-play touchdown drive to start the game and Tom Brady completing 11 of 12 passes in two series, things can’t be all that bad. Belichick does have an insatiable desire for success, which could explain his unsatisfied reaction, and there are areas the Patriots do still need to improve in, such as the pass rush and with their inconsistent rookie receivers. So, while things may look good on the surface, there is still a long way to go.
The schedule may claim that camp is over, but apparently that depends on who you’re asking.
Have a question for Luke Hughes? Send it to him via Twitter at @LukeFHughes or send it here.
