Under normal circumstances, the New England Patriots would spend this week preparing for their preseason opener against the Detroit Lions on Thursday. They would probably hold joint practice sessions while increasing the intensity and competition across the board. 2020 is anything but normal, however, and the Coronavirus forced the entire league to adapt to a new training camp schedule implemented because of the pandemic.
For the Patriots, this means operating as if it was still spring: the team is in the first phase of no-contact work, trying to get its players ready for the padded practices that will take place later this month — and for a regular season that will be kicked off a month from today.