Bart Scott calls out Bill Belichick for this Week 1 ‘desperation move'

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New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick surprised some people over the weekend when he announced his team would travel to Miami several days early to prepare for its Week 1 game against the Dolphins.

Instead of going down to Florida on Saturday for a Sunday afternoon matchup, the Patriots are flying on Tuesday.

"I think there are a combination of factors, but in the end it all looks like it's set up fairly well here," Belichick said. "So, make the travel on Tuesday instead of on Saturday. We'll already be down there. We'll be able to just focus on the Dolphins."

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The decision to go to Miami has its pros and cons. Getting acclimated to the South Florida heat is a good idea. Going on the road also creates bonding opportunities and ways to build team chemistry. The Patriots have lost seven of their last nine road games against the Dolphins, so switching things up isn't the craziest idea.

That said, there's obviously a lot of nightlife in South Beach, which creates its own potential problems. 

One former player who doesn't agree with Belichick's decision is Bart Scott. 

"I think this is a desperation move," Scott said Tuesday on ESPN's "Get Up!" show. "You're trying to change the narrative. You understand that you're struggling, but South Beach is undefeated. I say South Beach because you have to fight the elements.

"Now you're taking your team down to an environment and you better have some disciplined veterans, because you can have bed checks all you want, from 5 to 9 there's a lot of things that go on in Miami and it's going to take a lot of discipline. And I worry about you maybe dehydrating your team early in the week. It's like going to camp for the first time and maybe dehydrating your team early."

It's hard to imagine a Belichick-led team consistently staying up late and partying into the early morning when they have an important Week 1 game against a quality opponent and division rival on Sunday. That doesn't mean players won't enjoy themselves at all while they're in Miami, but putting your roster spot or playing time at risk just to have some fun isn't worth it.

There are also plenty of veterans on the roster, such as Devin McCourty, Matthew Slater and David Andrews, who can make sure the team is preparing how it should.

The Patriots should have plenty of motivation for Sunday's game. The Dolphins are betting favorites and most experts are picking Miami to win. 

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