Pats prep for wet weather
FOXBORO — Ahead of most games, the Patriots could not have asked more from the weather during a week of practice, with sunny skies, favorable temperatures and minimal winds present all week in Foxboro.
Sunday’s kickoff against the Browns should soon be an exception.
Weather forecasts are calling for steady rains throughout the game with temperatures hovering in the mid50s. It will be the first game the Pats have played in poor weather this season. In their final practice Friday, the team worked with soaked footballs to help simulate the expected conditions.
No one should be more affected than Tom Brady, one of two players who will touch the ball on every snap the Patriots offense is on the field. Brady explained how experience should guide the Pats as they battle Cleveland and Mother Nature.
“It’s just another level of concentration. So, I think it just falls into the mental toughness bucket at the end of the day,” Brady said. “Being here in New England, as we all know, we experience many different changes in weather very quickly, and just being outside practicing every day is good for us.”
Julian Edelman downplayed the effect the rain and winds — which are predicted to gust up to 15 mph — will have on the game. He insisted Friday his focus is on the Browns defense. Cleveland will field its starting cornerbacks together for the first time since Week 3.
“Whatever the conditions are, they’re going to be,” Edelman said. “And both teams will have to play in them.”
No Patriot dismissed the threat of bad weather this week quite like Bill Belichick. Naturally, Belichick has prepared the Pats for the possibility of rain, but he was quick to note they expected wet conditions against the Giants in Week 6, a game they played under relatively clear skies with the occasional breeze.
“I’ve seen the forecast, but this is the same exact same forecast we had for the
Giants – not one drop of rain. So, we’ll see,” Belichick said. “I mean, I don’t know. I’m sure it’s hard to get it right, especially specific locations such as this. Like, where it is 10 miles from here and where it is here makes all the difference in the world to us.
“That’s the world we’re in, so we’ll see.”
Support for Gordon
In the days after Josh Gordon was placed on injured reserve, several Patriots expressed their surprise at the move.
Gordon had been present for the start of practice Wednesday. He expected to play within a few weeks and still does. Nonetheless, it appears his tenure with the team will soon be over, as the Pats will reportedly release him in the coming weeks.
Edelman addressed Gordon’s situation Friday, saying he could relate, having been shelved himself with a torn ACL for all of the 2017 season.
“I’ve been on IR and it sucks to go on IR. I told him if he needs anything, let me know,” Edelman said. “Wished him well, and that’s part of this game. You’ve got to move on and you’ve got to worry about what’s going on in your room, what you’re going to go out and compete with, and he’s got our full support.
“I’ve been in that situation, and it’s not fun.”
Joining forces
Justin Bethel never thought he’d play in New England.
Why? The Patriots always had their own special teams star.
A three-time Pro Bowler, Bethel has recently bounced around the league as one of its best special teams players. Baltimore cut him earlier in the week, hours before the Pats moved to sign him. He now shares a locker room with Matthew Slater ,a seven-time Pro Bowler whom Bethel said he was simply happy to be in the same conference with.
The two first connected years ago at the Pro Bowl. Bethel says he’s already picked up tips from the 34year old captain, who admitted Wednesday he incorporated parts of Bethel’s game into his own.
“(Slater)’s one of the greatest to do it. It’s definitely an honor to hear that. And I’d say the same about him,” Bethel said. “We’ve both been kind of both been at the top of our position and … to be on the same team is something me and him thought would probably never happen.”