FOXBORO — The Patriots believe the elements can give them an edge later this season.
Head coach Mike Vrabel offered to let the team practice inside with temperatures in the 30s on a short week. The team elected to stick it out in the cold.
“It was good to get out there,” quarterback Drake Maye said. “Good to get used to playing in that weather. It’s just part of playing up here and making it something that was important for us to get out there and embrace being in this weather. I think it’s good to be able to practice in it. I think it’s an advantage.”
Maye said the team is going to try to make it difficult to play at Gillette Stadium in December and late in the season. After playing the Jets in Foxboro on Thursday night, they still have home games left against the Giants, Bills and Dolphins before any potential playoff matchups.
The Patriots quarterback did seem to have trouble throwing accurately when a rainstorm passed through Tampa in Sunday’s win over the Buccaneers. It started raining when the offense first took the field and immediatley stopped after the Patriots punted. Maye had three straight incompletions to end the drive.
He has an idea on how to improve in those conditions in the future.
“I missed a little bit high. I just got to make some better throws,” Maye said. “I think it’s just depends on sometimes you get a ball that’s really wet, sometimes it’s a little drier. So that’s football. You can never practice with it.
“It’s hard to practice that exact moment, unless I’m gonna go out there in a random day in the offseason, which I probably need to. Probably could happen and do that, but it’s hard to replicate that. But I think it’s good. It’s going to happen at some point again. So try to do my best to be accurate.”
Temperatures are predicted to be in the 30s with wind again Thursday night when the Jets come to Gillette Stadium. We’ll see if practicing in the cold helps Maye get prepared for cool conditions.
