FOXBOROUGH -- Patriots coach Bill Belichick held his daily press conference (10:50 a.m.) and media members had access to the locker room (11:10-11:55 a.m.) this morning at Gillette Stadium. Here were a few nuggets of note:
1) Different type of mental preparation. With the Patriots scheduled to remain on the West Coast throughout next week, this is a bit of a different type of mental challenge facing the club. A few players mentioned that the Patriots will be leaving for Sunday's game against the 49ers on Friday, which is one day earlier than normal.
2) Putting the bye weekend behind them. A handful of players relayed how they spent their off weekend, and most talked about how they returned to their hometowns with their families. Players were off Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Coach Bill Belichick mentioned that he enjoyed some time off, watching some NFL games. "You could be a little bit of a fan," he said.
3) Time to get familiar with unfamiliar foe. The Patriots haven't played the 49ers since the the end of the 2004 season, so this will be the first time that the club has faced San Francisco under Mike Nolan as head coach. Bill Belichick detailed his thoughts on the 49ers, calling them "an impressive team to watch." In last week's practices, the Patriots essentially focused on themselves. This week, the focus shifts more to the 49ers. Among the areas that Belichick mentioned about the 49ers were their specialists (kicker, punter, returners, coverage players), which he called "as good a group of specialists as we'll see all year."
4) J.T. O'Sullivan in focus. The Patriots had current 49ers quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan on their practice squad for a few weeks during the 2006 season. Belichick was asked about what initially attracted the team to O'Sullivan. "Athletic, good arm, very mobile guy in the pocket, he can throw the ball, make all the throws, he has a good touch on the ball, and can stay alive with his feet," Belichick relayed. "He's been very productive for them."
5) Jerod Mayo vs. Patrick Willis. Belichick was asked if there were similarities between 2008 first-round draft choice Jerod Mayo (No. 10, Patriots) and 2007 first-round draft choice Patrick Willis (No. 11, 49ers). "I think there are some similarities," he responded. "They are both athletic. For that position, they're guys that run well, have range, can cover some ground in the passing game and get in on a lot of tackles, and play physically inside with the big guys in there, and also get out on the perimeter in space on the outside runs and screens. I think Willis is one of the most athletic inside linebackers that we'll play against."
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Congratulation to Ty Warren on his recent Wedding this weekend
O remember wishing the patriots had been able to get Patrick Willis in the draft last year but of course we had no chance. Now a year later we basically got him which im ecstatic about. Now if next year we could get another stud linebacker to replace teddy then we would have Mayo Crable and the new draft pick as out linebackers of the future and that would be very nice to see. That along with a Wr to groom while we still have moss. A safety to replace rodney because i dont trust Sanders, and a lineman i would be one happy patriots fan lol wow i just got really sidetracked i guess its the draft nut in me...
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