FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The number of practices the New England Patriots hold inside the Empower Fieldhouse each season can usually be counted on one hand, as head coach Bill Belichick has spoken often about his preference to be outside in the elements.

So other than a slower-paced walk-through that makes the Fieldhouse a better option, or unusually high winds and lightning, the Patriots are usually outside. By practicing in the elements, the team can prepare itself for possibly playing in them at some point over the season.

There is one notable exception and it's come into focus this week: When the Patriots play in South Florida, there are times Belichick moves the team inside and turns up the heat. That's what the team is scheduled to do Wednesday.

At Wednesday morning's news conference, Belichick was asked what type of value that has for the team, and he generally downplayed it.

"You're talking about the middle of December, we've been playing football for a long time at a pretty high level, competing hard. I don't know that one day, anywhere, is going to; if that's all there was to it -- I think you need the other 12 weeks," he said. "We do what we feel like is best to prepare for the game. If we did it differently [than normal], we'd do the best we could with whatever that situation is. [But] it's always good to be outside, it's good to be out on the grass, dealing with the elements, whether we play in them this week or not, we'll eventually play in them. So there's a cumulative effect there."