Patriots training camp gets louder as players start hitting each other
There was something very different about the third day of Patriots training camp: the noise.
The Patriots opened camp Thursday, but the real football finally took place on Saturday. For the first time since the Super Bowl, the Patriots were in full pads from head to toe. That means the return of all the hitting, all the physicality, and all the tackling that define the sport.
Saturday morning, you could hear the cracks, booms, and thwacks dozens of yards away from the hillside above the fields.
“That’s what football is,’’ said tight end Michael Hoomanawanui. “Everything else is just building up to this point. This is how the game is played, so this is what we need to get used to.’’
The first big hit of the day came from defensive tackle Sealver Siliga, who laid out running back Tyler Gaffney on an inside handoff. Gaffney went down like a sack of potatoes. The crowd let out an audible “oooh’’ and “uhhh,’’ in amazement that Gaffney didn’t explode upon impact.
That may not sound like fun, but the players say they actually look forward to this part of camp.
“That’s what football is about: setting the tone, playing physical, running the ball, tackling; it was a good first day,’’ said wide receiver Danny Amendola. “It’s a different aspect of football than playing with t-shirts on. You get the pads on, strap it up, get a little contact. It’s a lot of fun.’’
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Then, there was everyone’s favorite part of training camp: the one-on-one pass-rush drills. Offensive linemen are tasked with keeping the defensive linemen away from a cone set up in the backfield. The offense won four of these drills, and the defense won seven.
Offensive lineman Marcus Cannon rag-dolled linebacker Dekoda Watson to the grass. Siliga bull-rushed rookie guard Tre’ Jackson into the backfield. Starting center Bryan Stork stonewalled a bull-rush attempt by second-year defensive tackle Dominique Easley.
Those were just some of the developments from camp, but you wouldn’t have seen anything like that if you were in attendance at the first two days of practice. That’s because football without contact is like the Boston Tea Party without the British. There’s nothing like football with pads, and now, football is back in full force — both figuratively and literally.
Notable newcomers to Patriots training camp
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