"It's a rite of summer around the NFL.

Players have to endure the drudgery and monotony of two-a-day practices and positional drills. Players do not relish training camp, but for coaches, the lessons taught in the searing heat of July and August will ideally pay dividends when summer fades to fall and the games count.

Perhaps no head coach gets more out of training camp and prepares his team for the rigors of an NFL season better than Bill Belichick, according to former Patriots players. Belichick, who will open his ninth training camp as Patriots coach this morning at 8:45 at Gillette Stadium, conducts each practice session with a purpose and maps out a game plan designed to have his team ready to play come Opening Day - and ready for almost anything that comes its way.

What separates Patriots training camp is the attention to detail and emphasis on situational football. Two-minute drills, four-minute drills, and coming-out-of-your-own-end-zone scenarios are situations in which the Patriots preach what they practice.

"The most important thing that I saw that he did in his training camps, the thing that he does that in my opinion makes that team better is that he has specific practices set aside for situational football," said former Patriots tight end Christian Fauria.

Fauria, who played in New England from 2002-05 and also has played for the Seattle Seahawks, Washington Redskins, and Carolina Panthers, said in his first camp with the Patriots, Belichick created a situation: It was late in the fourth quarter and the Patriots had the ball at their 17 with 1:21 left and no timeouts, needing a field goal.

Sound familiar? Belichick recreated the situation that led to Adam Vinatieri's field goal in Super Bowl XXXVI.

"They redid that situation. I remember that sticking out in my mind," said Fauria. "Ultimately, those situations can make the difference between winning and losing, being able to make those small, quick decisions that the other guy might not know."

"He just does his homework, and puts players in those uncomfortable situations in July and August, so in October, November, December, when the games mean the most, it's not the first time they've been in them and it's second nature."

The game in 2003 in which the Patriots beat Denver after intentionally taking a safety when Lonie Paxton snapped the ball off the crossbar? Fauria said the Patriots practiced that play in training camp.

"If he sees something that another team does or that is stupid, we'd watch film on it," said Fauria. "No other team I've been with did that.

"I remember talking to [former Patriots backup quarterback] Damon Huard after he left for Kansas City, and he said, 'These guys don't do any situational stuff.' ""