Bill Belichick explains why preseason Week 3 is nothing like the regular season
The start of the NFL regular season is just a few weeks away as we’re halfway through the preseason slate. With that comes the all-important third preseason game, which some call a dress rehearsal for Week 1.
The starters typically play the entire first half in what’s the closest thing to real football we’ll get before the season opener. New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick doesn’t see it that way, though. This week is just another meaningless preseason game with vanilla play calling.
As is the case with every team, the Patriots will still be running basic plays to make it easy on players less familiar with the team’s offense.
The Patriots will take on the Panthers this Friday on the road, the first time they’ll be away from Foxborough this preseason. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo figures to get plenty of time on the field as he prepares to start in place of Tom Brady for the first four games of the season, and he’ll get a taste of what it’s like to play behind an offensive line that’s a bit of a mess right now.
