Patriots pool report

The Chicago Tribune's Dan Pompei passed along a pool report following the Patriots practice Wednesday afternoon:

Quarterback Tom Brady's injured ankle was not much of an issue during the Patriots practice Wednesday.

Brady participated in all phases of practice and moved better than he did on Monday. He did not have his ankle taped outside of his shoe and he was not limping noticeably. The Patriots did not list Brady's ankle on the injury report.

Asked how Brady moved, coach Bill Belichick said, "Everybody practiced. They're fine."

Wide receiver Jabar Gaffney's participation in practice was limited because of a shoulder injury, however.

Though Brady did not appear affected by his ankle, the passing game was a little uneven. Asked about the practice, Belichick said, "I've seen better. They're always things to work on. We have plenty of them."

In a two-hour practice at Sun Devil Stadium under sunny skies, the Patriots wore pads for the first time this week. "We tried to get the tempo up a little bit and we did that," said Belichick.

The sideline was more crowded than usual. Former Patriots coach Chuck Fairbanks was in attendance, as were Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Curt Menefee, Howie Long, Jimmie Johnson, Barry Switzer, Pam Oliver, Chris Myers, and others from the Fox crew.