FOXBORO, Mass. — Cleaning out the ol’ notebook following the New England Patriots’ final media availability of the week:
— Patriots coach Bill Belichick was asked during his Friday morning news conference about Jamie Collins’ unexplained decision to wear plastic bags on his hands during Thursday’s walk-through.
His response was straight out of the Belichick playbook.
“That’d be a great question for you to ask Jamie Collins,” the coach said.
— LeGarrette Blount is averaging 25 carries per game through the first three weeks of the season — a mark that almost certainly is unsustainable over a full 16-game schedule, especially for a player who has a history of injuries.
Asked if he is comfortable with his running back’s workload, Belichick said he’s comfortable with whatever helps the Patriots win.
“I’d like to see us win,” Belichick said. “That’s what I’d like to see. I’d like to see us win. It’s not about individual stats. It’s about the team winning. That’s what’s important to me. I think that’s what is important to the team.”
Blount leads all NFL backs in carries (75) and rushing yards (298) entering Week 4 and is tied for first in the league in rushing touchdowns (four). He’s on pace to carry the ball 400 times this season, which would be the sixth-highest total in NFL history.
The Patriots record for rushing attempts in a season is 368, set by Curtis Martin in 1995.
— Former Buffalo Bills wide receiver Chris Hogan is getting set to face his old team for the first time this weekend.
Bills coach Rex Ryan earlier in the week had high praise for the 27-year-old wideout, whom Buffalo let walk in free agency this past offseason. Ryan called Hogan a “special talent” and said it was “definitely tough to lose him.”
“Any time someone pays you a compliment like that — as a head coach, too, in this league — you obviously take that,” Hogan said Friday. “That meant a lot to me, especially coming from him.”
Hogan signed a three-year, $12 million contract with New England in March. Through three games with his new team, he’s caught eight passes for 122 yards with one touchdown. He’s played more offensive snaps than all but four Patriots players.
Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
