Patriots hold rally before leaving for Super Bowl - ESPN

1:23 PM ET

An estimated crowd of 35,000 turned out at Gillette Stadium for the New England Patriots' Super Bowl rally Sunday morning, giving the team an emotional lift before boarding its flight to Atlanta.

"This is an awesome crowd. Just tremendous. This is the biggest sendoff we've ever had," coach Bill Belichick told those in attendance.

Belichick, dressed in a suit and tie, then thanked the crowd which filled the entire playing field and lower section of the stadium.

The team's decision to depart Sunday contributed to the large turnout. Last year, the Patriots departed for the Super Bowl on Monday.

3⃣5⃣0⃣0⃣0⃣ strong at today's Send-Off Rally at @GilletteStadium!#EverythingWeGot | #GoPats pic.twitter.com/UJ0e68Jzyt
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) January 27, 2019

Owners Robert and Jonathan Kraft also addressed the crowd, and they briefly reflected on the 25th anniversary of buying the team. They credited fans for their support throughout the years.

Captains David Andrews, Matthew Slater, Patrick Chung, Devin McCourty and Tom Brady also spoke at the rally.

Brady closed it out by imploring the crowd to chant "We're still here!" multiple times, which has been one of the team's rallying cries.

The Patriots then boarded team buses for T.F. Green Airport in Providence. They are scheduled to arrive in Atlanta at 4:25 p.m. ET.

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