Our first game was really exciting. It was kind of nice. It kind of put me back like being in college with just a little bit more special teams work added on to it. But the atmosphere was nice. There were more fans than we had when I played at Jacksonville State.

Basically I'd say the difference between the NFL and here is that in the NFL you are more nervous because it's one of those big games and everyone, millions of people, is watching. Here we knew that it wasn't a televised game but with it being the first game you are still kind of nervous going out there. But once you got out there and got into the flow of it, everything works out.

After that you just get that normal competitiveness going, being out there on the field competing against another good team. Like we said after the game, we did some good things and did some bad things but most of all we know the things that we have to improve on. We have to get in game shape. That's the biggest thing right now. We also had some turnovers and a few things with clock management that we just have to eliminate.

Any time you step on the field you are just looking at it as a game. You are just basically trying to have fun and enjoy yourself while you are here. I didn't play in the NFL games last season, but working in all the practices I feel like the action here is a step above college but not quite at the NFL level.

I don't really know what happened in terms of the controversy with the clock at the end of the game. I saw the clock with 20 seconds left and then before I knew it everybody was running on the field. It kind of shocked me. I really don't know what happened. I guess that's just one of those home field advantage things. We were at home, and I guess that was it.

The week here is set up sort of like the schedule we had with the Patriots. Right after the game we come back and condition and lift some weights to get the soreness out. Then you get your day off and then come back and you work on your offense again and run plays the next day. Then you start to get going into the game plan as you are running the soreness out of your body. It's pretty similar as to what we did in New England.

We did a little bit more passing than we did running last week. I had [six carries for 31 yards and one touchdown]. I think as an offense we are still feeling each other out a little bit. Hamburg ran some defensive schemes that we really never worked on. And like I said, the conditioning issue kicked in as we had to get used to the game speed and the tempo of the game. We had a lot of guys needing breaks and coming in and out. You are trying to get that flow going and then someone needs to go out because they were getting tired. But once we learn each other and get in game shape we are going to be good.

Having to adjust on game day is a big part of the game over here. Basically, to prepare you try to watch film from last year and hopefully they have the same coordinators and run the same things. That's what you are looking for. But once you start the game you are going to have to adjust to whatever they run anyway.

This week will be our first road game. We will have a 45-minute ride to Rhein. So it's not that far and we'll just take the bus. It's a 4:00 o'clock game so we will leave in the morning and be there ready to go for the game.

I feel like I am starting to reach a comfort level in terms of living over here. I have been here almost two weeks now. The people see us here, they know why we are here and a couple of people come up and ask for autographs and stuff like that. So you kind of get used to it and start to fee more at home. But you are always going to miss home. I have family over there. I don't talk to them every day, but when I do they tell me what goes on. I have two kids, a three-year-old son and a six-month-old daughter. I talk to them probably twice a week. That's a hard right now, not seeing them. But I try to talk to my son often. They are my motivation right now. That's why I am in the game. I am really living for them now.

As told to Patriots Football Weekly's Andy Hart.