FOXBORO -- The Patriots were given the day off on Saturday, but as wide receiver Donte' Stallworth pointed out on Sunday, that day off isn't what it seems.
"The first thing about being here, there are no off-days," said Stallworth after Sunday's session.
With the first preseason game on Thursday night, and practices scheduled with the New Orleans Saints the days leading up to that game, the Patriots certainly can't afford to have any "off-days."
The joint practices will be refreshing for both teams in the dog days of training camp, as Stallworth pointed out on Sunday.
"It's always fun to be able to play against, or even practice against other teams," said Stallworth. "After a while, your teammates, they start to know what you're doing, and vice-versa. Whenever you bring in a new team, it's always good to be able to compete against a different team."
While practicing and competing against their own teammates, Stallworth and the Patriots have been focusing on situational drills to make sure that they are prepared for anything that comes their way. That was evident on Sunday, as Tom Brady tried to work in a fake-spike in the no-huddle offense. His pass, deep down the left sideline, however, was overthrown, intended for Stallworth.
"Bill does a great job of putting us through situations," said Stallworth. "It's interesting, the way he does his training camps. That's why, every situation, we're always prepared for it, because Coach puts us through every single situation that can come up in a game, every situation possible."
New England Patriots
Brady's passion was shining bright on Sunday, but not in the way he would have liked. Brady's frustrations with receiver routes and blocking forced him to yell, "What are we doing?!?!" toward the end of practice.
"That's how he's always been, as long as I can remember," said Stallworth. "Nothing's going to be perfect, but if you strive for perfection, then you're going to be pretty damn good. And that's one thing that Bill always preaches to us. And Tommy's that same way. He's a fiery, passionate guy. And when things aren't going right, things that we've done before aren't going right, then Brady's going to let us know. He's the leader of this team, and guys follow his lead."