Morning Sports Update
Belichick said Elliott’s acclimation to the Patriots is “definitely not there yet, but we’re getting there.”
The Red Sox lost to the Nationals 10-7 on Thursday. Despite scoring six runs in the seventh to make the game close, Boston was unable to bridge the gap.
Tonight, the Red Sox begin a three-game series in the Bronx against the Yankees at 7:05 p.m.
Bill Belichick’s thoughts on Ezekiel Elliott and the joint practices: The two days of Patriots-Packers joint practices ended on an eventful note, with both teams escalating the intensity on Thursday (a day in which New England appeared to come out on top).
The midweek practices were also notable for providing a first look at Ezekiel Elliott in a Patriots uniform. Having signed shortly before the team traveled to Green Bay, Elliott is still acclimating to his new team.
Bill Belichick explained what he’s seen from the 28-year-old running back so far.
“It’s been fine. You know, a couple of days just spending a lot of time with Vinnie [Sunseri] and Billy [O’Brien], in terms of just getting caught up on terminology and things on the offense and all of that,” Belichick said during a Friday press conference. “He took a few snaps yesterday. So we’ll work him into it. We’ll see how it goes.”
“He’s only been here two days. We haven’t really been able to practice with him,” said Belichick when asked how Elliott looks.
The Patriots coach is taking a patient view of the veteran’s progress.
“It’s coming along. He’s definitely not there yet, but we’re getting there.”
Belichick was also asked about some of the scuffling that took place between the two teams during the second practice on Thursday.
“I don’t think that’s really what it was about,” Belichick replied, noting that he was more interested in the approximately 200 snaps his team got in during the span of the two-day period.
“We had a lot of snaps here, so we benefited a lot from working against the Packers,” he added. “They’re really good to work against.”
The Patriots now face the Packers in the team’s second preseason game on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET. It will offer a test for both teams, but Belichick — looking at the longer-term implications — views the joint practices as a valuable part of the team-building process.
“Two good days for us here.”
Trivia: Among the top 10 stolen base leaders in Red Sox history, three made their MLB debuts in the 21st century. Can you name them?
(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: One played his entire MLB career in Boston. One led the league in total bases in 2011. The third stole 126 bases with the Red Sox (good for ninth on the team’s all-time list) in six seasons before being traded.
More from Boston.com:
Nomar called it: Former Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra, now an analyst for the Dodgers’ television broadcast, correctly predicted that catcher Austin Barnes would hit a home run (which proved to be the difference in a 1-0 Los Angeles win).
Rory McIlroy with a series of outrageous shots: He’s tied for the lead at the BMW Championship after the first round of play at five-under.
SlamBall finals: The highlights include Marshawn Lynch as a commentator.
On this day: In 1992, Larry Bird announced his retirement from playing professional basketball. It marked the end of a legendary 13-year run in which he helped the Celtics win three titles while compiling virtually every individual award possible.
Daily highlight: Kat Rader scored a fantastic opening goal for Duke in a 2-0 win over West Virginia on Thursday.
Trivia answer: Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, Mookie Betts
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Originally posted 2023-08-18 14:43:03.