Patriots Focused On Task At Hand During 'Business Trip' In San Diego
BOSTON (CBS) -- The New England Patriots are 3,000 miles from home, but their week in San Diego is no vacation.
While they may have some time to sit by the pool, soak in some sun and have some fun, this week is nothing but a business trip for the Patriots.
The plan very early in the season was for Bill Belichick and his team to travel straight to the West Coast following Sunday's game in Green Bay -- a 26-21 loss to the Packers -- saving them a flight back to New England and a cross-country flight later in the week. With their early arrival in California, the Pats were given a bit of a rest before they returned to the practice field on Wednesday afternoon.
While the week away from the chilly weather in New England, and all the distractions back home, was welcomed by the players, they also knew they'd be in for a very different couple of days as they prepare for Sunday night's game against the Chargers.
The Patriots don't have the luxury of their own locker room during the day, or their own beds at night. They were supposed to practice at UC San Diego, but Bill Belichick made a last-minute change on Wednesday and the Pats have now taken over Walter J. Zable Field at Torero Stadium, home for the University of San Diego.
For some, such changes may be a little overwhelming. But don't expect to hear any excuses from the Patriots. Darrelle Revis has never spent a full week in the city of his next game, but is enjoying the change that this week is bringing.
"I think it's great. I think this was really thought out by our organization and Bill and the coaching staff, to do this after such a big game," Revis told reporters on Wednesday. "Guys are hanging out, sitting by the pool and relaxing, just being around each other. This is a crucial time in our season too, for us to continue to be around each other and still have each other's backs as a team. We have this game and three left after, so we really have to be on the same page as a team and coaching staff."
"I think it is a good opportunity to be together as a team: players, coaches, young players, veteran players, offense, defense, so forth," Belichick said of the trip. "I think it's a good environment for us to prepare for the game and a good opportunity to spend a little bit of extra time together, however that exactly works out. Hopefully, it will be all in a positive way for our team and that we have a great week of preparation for the Chargers, which is what we're here for and that's what our focus is. But as a byproduct of that, if it's team-building and opportunities to build relationships within the team, I think that's good too."
Safety Devin McCourty was asked about being stuck with his teammates for a full week, and had a little fun before talking about the benefits.
"I'm tired of them," he joked. "No, it's always fun to be back in a college setting where we're basically with each other 24/7. It was good for us and the team bonded well. This is a team that enjoys being around each other, so we had a good time and now we're focused on business."
Business for the Patriots' defense this week will be slowing down Philip Rivers and the San Diego offense. Rivers is completing 69-percent of his passes this season, and is coming off a season-high 388 passing yards and three touchdowns in a 34-33 win over the Ravens in Baltimore.
"We know we're not going to get many breaks this season, there are just too many good quarterbacks and receivers," said McCourty. "Our focus is trying to prepare for what we need to do to stop this offense."
"We're ready to go. We're excited and upbeat, especially at the meetings this morning," said Revis. "We just have to take it one day at a time and just not get distracted by being out here. It's not a vacation; we're here to work and go up against San Diego."
Tune in to Sunday's Patriots-Chargers game on 98.5 The Sports Hub -- the flagship station of the New England Patriots. Pregame coverage begins at 5:30pm, with a full three hours of reaction and analysis following the game. WBZ-TV begins their coverage Sunday morning at 11:30am with Patriots GameDay, and Patriots 5th Quarter can be seen on myTV38 following the game.
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