Patriots break training camp, now preparing for week one
By Alex Barth, 985TheSportsHub.com
With training camp officially wrapped up, Bill Belichick told reporters Monday morning the Patriots will begin transitioning to a ‘regular season preparation week.’
“It’ll be a little bit of transition, trying to clean up some loose ends, finish off some things we need to do,” Belichick said. “But we’ve got to move forward to we’re actually ready to play a game.”
With the schedule skewed by COVID and no trip to New York for the fourth and final preseason game, it appears Belichick is “On To Miami.”
That’s not good news for the Dolphins, who will visit Gillette Stadium to open the season in two weeks. When given extra time to prepare for a game, the Patriots are 67-20 under Belichick. That’s including week one games, games after bye weeks (regular and postseason), and games after a Thursday night game, where the Patriots have an extra weekend of prep time.
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Even without Brady, Belichick is 5-3 in such games, with two of those losses coming in 2000, and the other in 2016 when Jacoby Brissett started a game against the Buffalo Bills with a broken thumb.
There’s been a lot of talk from the Patriots about how it’s business as usual or “the train keeps moving” without Tom Brady. In any other year, the Patriots would come out strong in week one with the extra time to prepare. If that’s the case against Miami next Sunday, it’s a good indication the train truly never stopped.
Before they can get there though, the Patriots still have one major event on the calendar – roster cuts this weekend. Be sure to check out my latest roster projection, and keep checking back in with 985TheSportsHub.com for updates.
Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at [email protected].