While the New England Patriots have just one scheduled practice this week (Wednesday), they’d be smart to take advantage of this extra time off in every conceivable way they can.
Obviously bye weeks are designed primarily to help teams get healthy and take a well-deserved respite in the middle of a grueling 16-game season – or an even longer season if you’re the Patriots. Still, the smartest players, coaches, and staff members know that bye weeks offer up many other beneficial takeaways beyond just R&R.
Bill Belichick understands this better than anyone else in the league.