New England is practicing inside the Dana-Farber Fieldhouse today, as not only does Houston's Reliant Stadium have a retractable roof, but it's just really, really cold outside here in Foxboro, while it's about 50 degrees in Houston right now.

One other detail? Sunday's game kicks off at noon central time, so Bill Belichick moved the Pats' practice up an hour this week, to noon, so the team gets acclimated to playing at that time.

Only Tom Brady and Randy Moss were not spotted during the media-access window, but there's no cause for alarm as this is the third consecutive Wednesday both have had off from practice, and it is at least the sixth time this year Moss has been excused on a Wednesday.

There were six players in black as practice players of the week: Matthew Slater, Kyle Arrington, Thomas Williams, Bruce Davis, Dan Connolly and Darryl Richard.