Bill Belichick Suggests Gillette Stadium Renovations Could Impact Games This Season

The New England Patriots and NFL teams visiting Gillette Stadium this coming season may have to make some adjustments to their kicking strategy. 

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick this week suggested the new, massive video boards installed at Gillette Stadium this offseason could make a sizable impact on the kicking game, given the potentially altered wind patterns. 

"We saw a lot of that in the spring, so we can’t control that, whatever it is, it is," Belichick said, via Pro Football Talk. "It’s a learning experience for these guys. We’ll kick in the stadium when we can. Obviously those conditions have changed a little bit, so we’ll see how that goes. It’s a work in progress." 

The new video board, which spans across the previously open north end zone, is 370 feet wide and 60 feet tall. 

Asked to comment on whether the renovation has had a noticeable effect on the team's kickers, Belichick said, "yeah, there’s some changes. Yeah." 

The Patriots will kick off their 2023 campaign against the Eagles on September 10. It may be wise to avoid starting either teams' kicker in fantasy.