BLOOMINGTON, Minn. — The Patriots concluded Thursday's practice at the Vikings' facility with a fully healthy squad. All four players who were limited in practice on Wednesday — Malcolm Butler (illness), Rob Gronkowski (concussion), Brandon King (knee) and Deatrich Wise (concussion) — were full participants.
Other tidbits from the pool practice report:
- Vince Wilfork addressed the team. His message: There will be plenty of distractions in the next three days. But remember why you’re here. “He's a great leader for us, team captain 11 years,” Bill Belichick said. “A lot of friends here on the team, some new faces. But a guy that was very well-respected and had tremendous leadership on the team. It was good to see him.”
- Tom Brady again practiced with only black KT Tape -- no glove -- on his right hand.
- The team practiced in shells and helmets Thursday and had a lighter period than the up-tempo, fully padded session Wednesday. The near two-hour workout included time dedicated to special teams, but was also used to sharpen some things from the previous day. “A little better than yesterday,” Belichick said. “We got a few things cleaned up. So I think we're getting a little closer each day. Hopefully, we'll be at our best on Sunday.”
- Friday will be even lighter and Saturday will be primarily a gathering of friends and family for a team photo. Friday will also include a kicking session for the specialists at U.S. Bank Stadium (they had one Wednesday as well). “There's a lot to deal with,” Belichick said. “We have distractions all year long, so we've dealt with a lot. We just try to maintain focus on our job and whatever the outside stuff is, minimize it. We have to deal with it sometimes, depending on what it is, but we try to minimize it and try to stay focused on our job.”
BSJ analysis