WHITE SULPHER SPRINGS, W.Va. — A joint practice was held Wednesday morning at the Greenbrier Resort for the New Orleans Saints and the New England Patriots.
The two NFL teams will practice in Greenbrier County again Thursday morning to prepare for a Preseason Game Saturday in New Orleans.
Saints Head Coach Sean Payton said it’s exciting to be practicing with a different team because it keeps his players motivated.
“We’ve got a lot of young players, a lot of first-year guys that have never had a joint practice like this, but I think it can bring out the best in a player and help build confidence,” said Payton.
Holding their practice at the Greenbrier meant training in a more comfortable setting than what the Saints are used to, he said.
“We get a chance to train in better temperatures right now. The altitude here is around 2,000 feet, so we split time here and then back at home in New Orleans. The set up is perfect. For us to train with no distractions, it’s really been a good relationship.”
Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick said the resort location, in West Virginia’s mountains, is not that unusual.
“I think a lot of training camps have changed from what they were, but football is football. I don’t care where you do it. It’s football,” Belichick said.
This year, the Patriots are focusing on a number of different training aspects.
“An important part of any training camp is meetings, preparation, rest and recovery. We don’t want those to take a back seat to anything else,” he said. “We’re here for one reason and that’s to improve our football team individually and collectively.”
The two teams will wrap up their training camp at the Greenbrier Thursday at 11:20 a.m. They will arrive in New Orleans on Friday.
Their Preseason Game starts Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
The first game of the Patriots’ regular season is Sept. 10 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Saints’ will face off the Arizona Cardinals Sept. 13.