Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots aren’t taking early-August practices lightly.
The Patriots’ preseason has shifted to Detroit for three joint practices with the Lions before the teams square off Thursday night at Ford Field. The trip to Motor City provides New England with an early opportunity to battle on the road, an area of relative weakness for the Patriots last season.
Belichick was quick to remind his team of its road woes prior to Monday’s practice, but Tom Brady found one minor flaw in his head coach’s message.
“They’re good. They’re important,” Brady said of road practices, as captured by the Patriots. “Coach reminded us that this morning. You know, we were 3-5 (on the road) last year. I wanted to remind him we were 5-5 — won two important ones at the end. But I understand 3-5 for his argument’s sake works.”
Brady, of course, is referring to New England’s final two games of the campaign: an AFC Championship Game triumph over the Kansas City Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium followed by its Super Bowl LIII victory against the Los Angeles Rams at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Jokes aside, Brady and Belichick clearly are on the same wavelength when it comes to preparing for action outside of Foxboro.
“We have to be better this year,” Brady said. “You know, you gotta get in a routine. You come here and a lot of things are unfamiliar and you try to really focus on football and our plays and our techniques and our fundamentals and once you’re lining up you’re playing football.”
New England will face some tough tests on the road in the upcoming season, including matchups against the Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and Houston Texans.
