Some may think this is the worst time possible for the Patriots to have to get on a plane Thursday and fly over to Germany while sitting at 2-7. Bill Belichick looks at it a bit differently.
It seems as if there’s starting to be a bit of a ‘check out’ factor with some guys already and with the announcement on Wednesday morning that JC Jackson won’t be making the trip, it appears as if Belichick is trying to get ahead of it in terms of eliminating distractions during game weeks.
Those distractions will probably only mount as we get deeper into this abysmal season, but for now, things still seem fine to an extent and he’s looking at the upcoming trip as a (potentially) positive experience.
“Yeah, well it’s a unique opportunity. When it gets here, we’ll look forward to it,” Belichick said during his usual Wednesday presser when asked if he was looking forward to it. “Again, the next couple of days, today is a big day for us in terms of preparation, then tomorrow. Then the travel and the weekend’s the weekend and compete on Sunday.”
The logistics behind a trip like this are nearly impossible to fathom, but those in charge of making the operation as smooth as possible have been working on the details for months. The Patriots’ content team is already in Germany after leaving on Tuesday. It also doesn’t hurt that the organization has made overseas trips before.
“Whenever it was scheduled. When was that announced, sometime in the spring? So, made a couple trips over there, different people in the organization to plan for it. All the logistics, practice facility, stadium, hotel, meals, airlines, stuff like that. So, a lot of work has gone into this,” Belichick said when asked how long the planning has been going on.
As far as practice goes, things don’t change all that much this week, just a few minor tweaks here and there.
“Just a little bit, not too much. Just minimize the Friday installation, try to get things in today and tomorrow,” Belichick explained. “Friday’s more of a review day. Friday and Saturday are more review days, get adjusted days, and then compete. Most everything will be in by Thursday afternoon.”
While there’s not a whole lot of reason for fans to believe the Pats will suddenly look better against Indy than they did against Washington because they’re on an international stage, you never know what this kind of trip could do for a team bonding wise, especially when they’re desperate for any kind of positivity right now.
Belichick may not know any German, but he’s certainly hoping he can figure out one phrase after Sunday.
“Yeah, Patriots win? What’s the word for that? I’ve been spoken to in German, just don’t know what was said,” he added with a grin, drawing a large laugh from the media.