As the Patriots get ready to face Josh McDaniels and the Las Vegas Raiders before another must-win game this weekend, the team is taking advantage of some Arizona hospitality.
Familiar face Jedd Fisch – now the head coach at the university – has opened his doors to the Patriots as the team stays out west instead of making two different road trips. These types of trips have been a staple for Bill Belichick and his staff over the years and he’s hoping the elimination of family distractions and other commitments while guys are back home helps his team lock in for the critical matchup on Sunday.
“I think it’s a good opportunity,” Belichick said when he met with some of the local media assembled in Arizona on Wednesday. “It could be good. It could also not be good if the circumstances didn’t line up properly. But it’s a great opportunity, that’s for sure. It’s a great opportunity. Certainly, the facilities and the setup here are really good. So, I think we’re all looking forward to it and need to take advantage of it. It’s good.”
The Patriots already saw the Raiders back in training camp during joint practices and the ugly preseason game that followed. That week feels familiar to this one not just because of the opponent, but because of the “all we’ve got is us” feeling it provides for the team. It’s nice that the Pats have some intel on Vegas from those few days, but so does Josh and the rest of his staff, who are obviously very familiar with everything Bill is saying and doing this week.
“Sure, yeah without a doubt,” Belichick said when asked if that work in the summer expedites preparation for this game. “I mean there’s certainly game plan things that have come up along the way but yeah, we’re pretty familiar with them and we knew that at that time, that this was going to be a short week and to try to take a little bit extra preparation time. Not that we were going to plan then, but just in general terms. Know that they were going to show up later on to try to make sure we took advantage of the opportunity. I’m sure they did the same thing.”
It’s been a rocky first year for McDaniels, but these are the types of games that players rally around a coach for. As ugly as it’s been for Vegas, the Patriots logo and Bill Belichick on the opposite sideline still get guys fired up to take down the dynasty, whether it’s there anymore or not. As comfortable and locked in as the Patriots may be this week thanks to old friend Mr. Fisch, coming home with a win on Sunday night is all that matters and Belichick knows this one is going to be a grind.
“Obviously, a quick turnaround here,” he added. “It’s been a while since we’ve seen them. A lot of the same explosive players that we saw in training camp and maybe a couple other ones that we didn’t see. We’ll see how that goes. (Vegas) has been in a lot of close games, a lot of one score games, a lot of situational football. A lot of those games could have gone either way, but I think when you look at them you see two very, very explosive players offensively and a great quarterback. Obviously, a good offensive system and defensively, well put together scheme with Coach [Patrick] Graham. Don’t give up many big plays, one of the best in the league at that.
“Obviously, you have two elite pass rushers and a lot of other experienced players. The kicking game, we’ve talked about that. These two kickers are two of the biggest legs in the NFL. Can change field position. Offensively, they play on a short field. Pretty much as soon as they get to the 40-yard line, they’re in field goal range, maybe in the 45. Then the return game has been good for them as well. A really well-balanced team that’s just a handful of plays away from being probably in double digit wins. Impressed watching them on film and we’re going to have to play well Sunday, so that’s what we’re preparing to do.”