FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:
1. Veteran cornerback Jason McCourty was one of four Patriots players to testify in support of an education bill at the Massachusetts State House on Friday, saying the experience sparked more nerves than playing in the biggest game of his professional football career.
"We're in a different arena here. We have beliefs and we support different things, and then it's the next step of coming here and talking about it -- not knowing what you're walking in to. For us, we were probably a lot more nervous than we were when we walked in for the Super Bowl," said the 31-year-old McCourty, who played a key role in the Patriots' victory over the Los Angeles Rams.