FOXBORO -- Empty palettes were stacked high on the back of an 18-wheeler, and the few remaining rolls of sod waiting to be unfurled sat on cold concrete near Gillette Stadium's trademark lighthouse. On the field, a machine rolled over the newly-laid turf, preparing it for Saturday's AFC divisional playoff game against the Titans.
The whole field has been replaced and the question now becomes whether unrooted grass, which is what the Patriots and Titans will be playing on Saturday, is preferable to the dirt field the teams would have played on if the league hadn't mandated the Pats re-sod the field.
With a terse answer yesterday, Bill Belichick made it clear how he felt about the new surface.
"The decision was mandated by the league, so that's that," he said. "I thought the field played well. There hadn't been any problems with it in terms of player safety and cutting and footing, so let's hope that continues to be the case. It's a league mandate."
With that, Belichick concluded his turf talk. And it's not going to get any more play today when the players are available to talk.
"No comment," said one player when asked whether new turf might be a problem. "We've already been briefed to leave it alone and not talk about it. It's a dead issue."
Literally. And that's the problem. The Patriots had ample time this fall to re-seed the field and instead let it go. Players have been complaining about the conditions since October. But the field continued to deteriorate.
The dangerous aspect of this now becomes the prospect that the sod may roll up like a throw rug Saturday night when 22 players ranging in weight from 200 to nearly 400 pounds, run, roll, dive and dig into the turf. Also, in order to get the sod to even have a chance of taking, it will have to be watered liberally over the next three days, which means the top layer will be soft. In essence, it could provide too much traction, which could lead to injury.
Ironically, the worst field in the league last season was Tennessee's. The Titans played on a dug-up field for the better part of the season.
Bears like Crennel
Sources in Chicago say defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel is the frontrunner for the Bears head coaching job, although LSU coach Nick Saban could alter that if he decides to try his hand in the NFL. Crennel, the first candidate interviewed by Bears general manager Jerry Angelo, is in the running with Mike Nolan and Jim Mora Jr. for the job. Former Giants coach Jim Fassel will not interview in Chicago. Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz, along with Saban, is under consideration as well.
Will Weis roam?
Offensive coordinator Charlie Weis reportedly had a solid interview with the Bills last week. He and Bills quarterback Drew Bledsoe were rumored to have had a tense relationship in 2001 -- Bledsoe's last season in New England -- so it will be interesting to see how Weis' candidacy plays out in Buffalo.
Squib kicks
The first-round pick the Patriots acquired from Baltimore will be the 21st overall . . . Asked on WEEI yesterday whether the Titans and Patriots are similar, Pats receiver Troy Brown said, "They do find a way to win football games. That's pretty much what we've done this year and in the past. Nobody talks about the stars or their team aside from (Steve) McNair , but they find a way like we do." . . . Belichick on the Titans: "This will be the toughest game of the year. They're physical and play hard. Right now, all our sails are set in one direction." . . . And on his being named the Coach of the Year: "It's something a lot of people should share in -- assistant coaches, scouting department, video people, who put in countless hours to give us an opportunity to do what we need to do." As for what it meant personally, Belichick said: "It's not that big a deal. I'm only concerned about what the team does." . . . Titans running back Eddie George (shoulder), McNair (ankle, calf), cornerback Samari Rolle (concussion) and long snapper Ken Amato (ankle, hamstring) were all dinged up in the Titans' win over Baltimore. Head coach Jeff Fisher seemed to think they'll all be fine for Saturday's game.
