Saints have spirited practice against Tom Brady led Patriots

Three football fields (two upper grass, one lower field turf) and a large building where teams can meet and dress will be used by the Saints and Patriots this week, the third time in five years they’ve participated in joint practices before a preseason game. The Saints first reported to The Greenbrier on July 29.

Patriots Head Coach, Bill Belichick agrees.

As the Patriots get set to hold joint practices with the New Orleans Saints later this week, the goal is to hopefully provide both sides with opportunities to work on situational football and create certain situations that might not necessarily arise during their exhibition game.

“I know this, I know how he is going to handle it with his players and we felt coming off the times we’ve worked together it has been real positive”.

If they’re also sharing notes about what they’ve learned from scandals known as “Spygate, ” “Bountygate, ” or “Deflategate, ” they weren’t acknowledging it when the teams practiced together on Wednesday. That won’t carry over into the regular season.

While a few other mixed practices across the league haven’t ended so well, the Saints and the Patriots ended the day on good terms.

“We have a chance to practice against the defending world champions”, Brees said. “Really, next week, too”.

By extension, the intensity of practice rose to a level it hasn’t really hit on the Greenbrier practice fields yet. “We’re a very competitive team so we want to get the most out of it”. The rest comes from the way Payton and Belichick designed the practice schedule.

Last year, Brees famously said he’d like to play until he’s 45. “This is the ideal place for our coaches and players to focus on basketball as they bond and learn about each other”.

“It’s always fun to go out and compete against different guys”, defensive end Chandler Jones began. We have to go. That was reminiscent of an exhibition game a year ago against the Tennessee Titans when New Orleans drew 22 flags.

But there was a heightened sense of competition. It was just a different opponent, different team so everybody’s juices were flowing a little bit more. You get to see a different look. You’re trying to evaluate your roster and get the best 53 players you can.

Justice also struck a deal in 2013 to bring the Saints to the Greenbrier for much of their training camp. The Saints will break camp at the end of this week and head home. To the public for the patriots training camp 2015.

But the next day, he stood on the field in West Virginia, drawing supportive fans holding “Free Brady” signs and a gaggle of national reporters, including at least two from ESPN. And just last week a similar ending came about when the Houston Texans and Washington got into an all out brawl that was captured by HBO’s Hard Knocks.