The Patriots are back in practice following a weekend of rest as they prepare for Sunday's game in San Francisco.
Under head coach Bill Belichick, the Patriots have won their last five games coming off a bye and are 6-2 overall.
“It rolls right down from the head guy and Belichick knows what he's doing,” former offensive lineman Joe Andruzzi told the Boston Globe.
To improve on that mark, the Patriots need to improve their offensive production in the red zone. They're ranked 27th in the league in red-zone efficiency heading into this weekend.
“It will catch up to you sooner or later,” Belichick told the Boston Herald.
The Globe also profiles special teamer Ray Ventrone, who has also spent time in the defensive backfield and at wide receiver to earn his spot on the roster as a jack-of-all-trades player.
“No one has worked harder than Ray,” Belichick told the Globe.
Quick hits
The view out west is much different as the Patriots' next opponent, San Francisco, attempts to rebound from Sunday's loss to New Orleans.
Saints' quarterback Drew Brees threw three touchdowns as the 49ers fell to 2-2.
“There's no excuses. We didn't play the way we're capable of,” linebacker Patrick Willis told the San Francisco Chronicle.
Several players view the loss as a step back.
“We didn't play well as a team today,” head coach Mike Nolan told the San Jose Mercury News.
The lack of pressure applied on Brees stands out as one of the biggest problems in Sunday's loss. The 49ers failed to sack him once as he threw for 363 yards in addition to his three touchdowns.
