1 – In one week the new-look, Tyreek Hill-led Dolphins won’t be the only challenge the Patriots face in the 2002 regular season opener.
The Sept. 11 trip to Miami will also test New England’s conditioning and ability to deal with the heat and humidity, early forecasts for the game to include temperatures in the 90s and the always-present South Florida chance of thunderstorms.
While Bill Belichick is often one to dismiss the affect that weather has on a game, the Patriots head coach is very much acknowledging and addressing the Miami heat this time around. New England will travel to Florida early this week to attempt to get acclimated to the challenging conditions.
“It’s going to be hot. I think that’s really kind of a mindset thing. You really can’t do nothing differently,” pass rusher Matthew Judon said. “It’s going to be hot. It’s going to be humid. It’s going to be muggy. Everybody is going to feel it. So just hydrate and do as much as you can. But it’s going to be hot in Miami.”
As such the Patriots will practice in that heat all week.
2 – Due to the unique weather conditions, the trip to Miami has historically been one of the first games players have looked for over the years when the schedule is released to see if the contest is indeed in the heat of the early season. Interestingly, though, New England has actually been relatively successful against the Dolphins on the road early in the season. After losing three September or early October games at Miami from 2000-02, Belichick’s Patriots have gone 6-1 in their last seven early-season trips to Hard Rock Stadium. Really, late-season trips to Miami have been more of a problem, the Patriots having won just once in seven road games against the Dolphins played in December or January since 2013.
3 – During the Patriots’ offensive struggles of the preseason, it was common to hear many of the team’s defenders and proponents emphatically declare that there was no game planning going on. That was certainly true if not necessarily notable or explanatory. Now, though, New England is in the midst of a two-week build-up to the opener in Miami. There’s plenty of time for Belichick, Matt Patricia, Joe Judge and the rest to come up with what they believe will be the ideal way to attack the Dolphins defense that’s led by former Patriots assistant coach Josh Boyer.
Quarterback Mac Jones, for one, is looking forward to the challenge and the hope presented in the full preparations for the regular season opener.
“I've always enjoyed the Xs and Os part more than anything else,” Jones said during his midweek press conference at Gillette Stadium. “Obviously, the coaches do a great job setting up the game plan and then going out and executing that. I think by the time you get to game day the goal is to 'alright this is exactly what I'm supposed to do. If this happens, what do I do? If this happens, what do I do?' So you have everything played out in your head already, then you just have to go out there and execute it. I always enjoy that part of it. I always love just seeing a game plan come together and that's an important part of football. I think good teams they take the plays in practice, and they execute them on Sundays.”
4 – Sunday’s trip to Miami will be the first of nine road games for the Patriots this season under the NFL’s 17-game format. New England actually played nine home games last fall in the first season under the new schedule. Each year all NFL teams play 10 home games and 10 road games when preseason contests are included. That’s why New England hosted a pair of preseason games at Gillette Stadium against the Giants and Panthers with the lone August road trip to Las Vegas. New England’s “extra” road game this fall is the Dec. 12 trip to Arizona to take on the Cardinals.
5 – Belichick mentioned a number of different times over the last week-plus that even for him it’s difficult to assess what kind of team he has in New England prior to the season opener or even well into the year.
“I don't think you really know where your team is until you get to about midseason, mid-October,” Belichick said. “Play five, six, seven games, match up against some different teams, see for real what your strengths and weaknesses are, and your opponents as well. What it looks like on paper, and what it is in preseason and what it is in regular season. I don't think they're all the same. People start attacking you, you start attacking other people, you get a much better feel for what your problems are maybe what your strengths are, how good they actually are. So, that's it.”
Over the years, many in the New England media and fan base have taken to saying that “September is an extension of the preseason.” Interestingly the Patriots have been the NFL’s most successful team in the first month of the season over the last 10 years with a 25-10 record.
While acknowledging the transitional phase from August to regular season action, Belichick knows that early-season losses can very much be missed opportunities that teams regret later in the season, as was the case with New England’s 1-3 start a year ago.
“I've heard a lot of people comment on it. September is an extension of the preseason, building your team, developing your team. I think there's some truth to that,” Belichick said this week. “But games start now, so it's important to be competitive early. I think we saw some of that last year. But we see it every year, but certainly saw it last year.”
6 – In addition to the challenging trip to Miami for the opener, the Patriots are one of three NFL teams (Colts, Bucs) to open the season with a two-game road trip as New England will be at Pittsburgh in Week 2. Despite the nine road games and extra trip to Arizona, the Patriots actually rank in the middle of the pack in terms of miles they’ll travel (18,944) in 2022. According to the NFL’s 2022 Kickoff Guide the Patriots rank No. 13 in the league in miles the team will travel, with Seattle set to travel the most (29,446) and the Steelers the fewest (6,442).
7 – Veteran defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr. was quite deservingly named the 2022 Ron Burton Community Service Award recipient on Sept. 1 during the Patriots Premier at Gillette Stadium. Wise is the 20th Patriots player to receive the award and was recognized for his commitment to giving back to the community.
“Deatrich has an infectious laugh, an engaging personality and a generous heart,” Patriots owner Robert Kraft said. “Those are the characteristics our team sees every day and are the same qualities he shows when he is out in the community. Deatrich started the Wise Up & Co. Foundation with his brothers, Daniel and Solomon, to leverage their names off the field with the aim to have a positive impact in the community. Deatrich has been a pillar in the community by supporting organizations that share the same mission, to assist youth, fight hunger and celebrate individuality.”