Justin Herron is as green as he gets as an offensive rookie lineman for the New England Patriots, while cornerman Jason McCourty, now in his twelfth season, is at the other end of the spectrum of the NFL race.
However, either player can agree on this point: it’s wonderful to return to the Patriots education this week after the team held only two sessions between October 3 and 20 due to a series of positive COVID-19 tests on the list.
“It’s funny,” I told other people before, after the last two weeks, you realize how vital practice is and doesn’t take reps for granted,” Herron said Thursday. “In an instant it may disappear. That’s right. It’s a wonderful feeling to be back and it’s a wonderful feeling to get back to the overall routine. So it’s been wonderful. “
The once “feared” task has a recreational activity and incredibly useful for Patriots players, young and old.
“No doubt, ” said McCourty on Thursday. I think even for the last 12 years, when you’ve done something like it for 12 years and you’ve turned 12, it’s anything you, like you said, you’re afraid of. You complain, but you’re hunting ahead, and you know it’s the procedure to be in a position to play on Sunday. “
McCourty made a pretty convincing argument about the importance of the practice while broadcasting a verbal exchange he had with Patriots special group captain Matthew Slater.
“As an older guy, you’d like to think, ‘Hey, I don’t really want those repetitions, or I don’t want this practice, but we said, like, you miss being out there so you can see this representative maybe on Wednesday, get beat up in a Wednesday play and not forget when Sunday is shown in this room. ‘McCourty said. ” We laugh because every time a kid makes a mistake in education in something important week, he can almost be sure it will definitely look and possibly won’t catch up with him.
“So those practice trials are the ones that prepare us for the game and it’s great to be here so we can do the rehearsals and go back to a general week of preparation. “
Quarterback Cam Newton expects the Patriots to stand out over san Francisco’s 49ers on Sunday after a full week of practice.
“It’s almost surreal, however the fact that we’re here to train, I think everyone’s back to their general routine. I think that’s vital to us. I know myself personally, being in my place, it’s one thing to check your readings. “, another thing is to review your readings and read them carefully. We expect you to pay dividends on Sunday and expect wonderful things not only from the offense, but also from a smart complementary football game for us. »
The Patriots looked green in their 18-12 week loss to the Denver Broncos. Newton thinks the Patriots have no more excuses.