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Serious weather is obviously a part of New Orleans and we avoided a big-time down pouring of rain yesterday in between our two-a-day schedule.
It doesn't matter as much here as it did in Jackson because we have an indoor practice facility, as well as our two main outdoor practice fields. When you have over 160 players and all the staff that goes with two teams, the indoor facility would have been bursting at the seams. With some cooperation from Mother Nature, though, we were able to practice outside with some drizzling rain at different periods in practice.
Concentration levels increased due to playing the Texans but also because the wetness of the field and the slickness of the footballs. A few things can be done to help us in regards to the field and the footballs.
As far as the field is concerned, many players change their cleats. There are a couple different choices of footwear that we have at our disposal. There are the molded cleats, which is really hard plastic and molded to the bottom of the shoe. Then we have the detachable cleats, which come in multiple lengths and can be changed pretty quickly. When the grass is longer or the weather is bad, a longer detachable cleat is the best option.
Other changes that can be made are regarding the gloves that we elect to wear. Most players wear gloves to protect their hands or to give them a better grip on the football. I use a glove called "Cutters," which I've grown accustomed to wearing and like. Just like cleats, there are a lot of different options when it comes to gloves. Some are leather and some have a tack base. When it rains I think the old-fashioned leather gloves are the best. Regardless of what changes we choose to make to our uniform, the bottom line is that there are no excuses when you hit the field. The only thing that the coaches care about is who is getting the job done.
Our duel practice sessions with the Texans were successful in the fact that we treated each other in the right fashion. Like I had hoped for and expected, the emphasis of practicing hard but smart was effective. It was good work for both teams. We definitely weren't perfect but it was a good three practices to build off. I think it's important to recognize the Texans for being professional and coming here with the same intentions that we had, and that was to get in a few good practices and be professional.
We practice again this afternoon, and it will just be our team. So we will work on polishing some things up and get ready for our pre-season game on Saturday night.
It's going to be nice to play in the Superdome. It seems like a long time since I have played in there and I'm looking forward to it!
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