This New England Patriots squad appears to be in a much different state of mind heading into Super Bowl XLIX against the Seattle Seahawks than many of the prior AFC champion teams under the tutelage/guidance of head coach Bill Belichick.
According to a firsthand perspective from ESPN Boston's Mike Reiss, "the biggest takeaway from being around the Patriots is how loose they are, and Bill Belichick's decision to cancel the team's walkthrough on Saturday has contributed to the let's-let-it-rip and have-some-fun feel among players. In that sense, this is the anti-2011 when things seemed a bit tighter."
Reiss is referring to the visibly wound-up Pats squad that couldn't quite get over the hump offensively in a 21-17 loss to the New York Giants.
This incarnation of the Patriots, however, appears to be relishing the moment before locking up with the Seahawks - a major change in tone that could pay dividends when it gets to crunch time.
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