FOXBORO — Bill Belichick ended a wide-ranging press conference by giving tattoo parlors all over New England some bad news. He doesn’t have any tattoos like some other coaches in the AFC East, nor does it sound like he’s getting one anytime soon.

Told that Rex Ryan has a bragged about his tattoo this summer as Jets camp opened, Belichick thought it might be amusing to actually see Ryan prove it.

“I’d like to see that,” Belichick said, we presume joking. “I’m tattoo-free.”

Then he was asked, in a slightly more serious vein, if he’s seen Ryan’s press conferences in which he’s challenging other NFL teams to step up to the plate and beat the Patriots this season.

“I’ll leave the analysis to the experts,” Belichick said. “Right now, I’m just worried about the challenge we have as a football team. And I think we have a big one as far as where we need to go and how much work we have to do. I’m just focused on that.”

- Also, Belichick said Monday’s day-off for the players was very helpful to his coaching staff.

“It gave us a chance to reorganize and take stock of what happened in the last week,” he said.

- Albert Haynesworth, expected to talk to the media following a three-hour practice, was on the practice field and Belichick – while not revealing much – indicated that Haynesworth is making progress. “He’s worked hard and is coming along. He’s got a long way to go. But he’s fine,” Belichick said.

– Belichick raved about Kevin Faulk, who agreed on Saturday to come back for a 13th NFL season with the Pats. Faulk indicated Saturday it was Belichick who was his inspiration to rehab the torn ACL in his right knee.
“He’s the ultimate team player,” Belchick said. “He takes great pride and professionalism in his job, and he’s a great example for all of us in terms of being a professional, team-oriented, and putting himself secondary to the team goals.”