INDIANAPOLIS — An almost-complete New England Patriots squad conducted a two-and-a-half hour Super Bowl XLVI practice in helmets and shells Wednesday at Indianapolis Colts team headquarters.
“We had our moments – some good ones and some things we’ve got to work on,” Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said afterward. “They’re trying. They’re working hard. We’ve got a ways to go, though.
“We’ve had a little bit of extra time to prepare so we hit all the areas. I thought we had good tempo and good timing. We’ll back down a little bit the next couple of days.”
Tight end Rob Gronkowski was the only player who didn’t participate during Wednesday’s session. Gronkowski suffered a left ankle injury January 22 during New England’s 23-20 AFC Championship game victory over Baltimore.
“He’s day to day,” Belichick said. “He’s getting better but, we’ll just take it day-to-day.”
Tackle Sebastian Vollmer (foot/back) worked on a limited basis.
“He did a little bit today,” Belichick said. “We’ll see how he does tomorrow.”
Left tackle Matt Light, who battled an illness earlier in the week, completed a full practice.
To prepare for the crowd noise expected inside Lucas Oil Stadium during Sunday’s matchup against the New York Giants, the Patriots blasted loud music through much of practice inside the Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center.
— Written by Alex Marvez, Pro Football Writers of America