On Wednesday morning, Patriots coach Bill Belichick reflected on the passing of Sen. Ted Kennedy, saying he someone who was always “very supportive” of the Patriots. Belichick recounted several notes Kennedy had sent to him over the years, either congratulating him or offering words of support. He called him a “great senator from a great family.”

“He sent me a personal note on numerous occasions, I’d say almost annually at the end of the year, congratulating us on our success, or sometimes when things didn’t go the way we wanted them to,” Belichick said. “Notes of encouragement and that kind of thing. Of course, he was there for our trips to Washington and things like that.

“He was a great senator from a great family in this area. He certainly had an impact on all of us in one way or another. His leadership and his courage were certainly something that I personally always...

Jed Lowrie, in the second game of a rehab assignment with Triple A Pawtucket, went deep twice against Lehigh Valley IronPigs starter Rodrigo Lopez. Lowrie has now hit three homers in two days, all while batting left-handed. He has been on the disabled list since Aug. 8 due to ongoing discomfort in his surgically repaired left wrist.