FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Here are some quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and the NFL:
1. Even though the Patriots and Houston Texans will play Sept. 24, in Week 3 of the regular season, that won’t stop them from holding joint practices leading into their preseason game Aug. 19. Those plans are still on, which means it is a similar setup to 2013, when the Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers held joint practices in Week 2 of the preseason before meeting in the third week of the regular season.