FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Growing a green, healthy lawn can exasperate even the most dedicated homeowner. But the New England Patriots have apparently given up on keeping their back yard looking good and opted for a permanent solution.

After their newly-sodded field was turned to muck on Sunday during the Patriots' 17-14 loss to the New York Jets, the Patriots decided to pull up the grass once and for all and install a FieldTurf surface. The change was first reported by Patriots Football Weekly on Tuesday.

Work crews bulldozed what was left of Gillette Stadium's natural grass on Tuesday and the new surface will be ready for the team's next home game Nov. 26 against the Chicago Bears.

The playing conditions at Gillette Stadium have previously been criticized and the team has resurfaced the field several times -- sometimes at the behest of the NFL. In 2003, the NFL ordered the Patriots to re-sod the field before a playoff game against the Tennessee Titans.

The Boston Globe reported Tuesday that the NFL's competition committee had recommended against allowing teams to change playing surfaces during the season, but that recommendation was never made league policy. The team's president, Jonathan Kraft, told 890 ESPN Radio in Boston that no such rule exists.
espn

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The fieldturf is supposed to be much better than the old astroturf, but I always liked playing on grass better.

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I don't think you can ever match natural grass. Footing might be worse, but the knees and hammys are safer.

Not to mention no skinned knees. Boy they sucked. Played a game in Colorado with a very bad astro turf and has skinned knees, butt, hands, basically anything that touched the ground, lol.

I don't think you can compare the new artificial turfs vs. the old. From what I understand, the new grass like ones don't feel the same as the old..so it isn't like playing on a rug. The padding is also much, much better, so it isn't as hard on the joints.

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Still, something has to give when you make a hard cut. When the ground below you doesnt give, it is the knee that gives.

The new turf is much improved, but still not as safe as grass.

I wouldn't argue that at all, but the question is...what about all the ankle and knee injuries due to feet slipping on bad and torn up grass? Fact is...with the way the game is played..most grass fields can't survive...not in bad weather areas.

If the grass goes, then you got the mud underneath. That is when the game gets good

I used to love to play the mud games, until it became time to try and get the uniform off. Holy crap that was tough.