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Expectations are sky high at Gillette Stadium as the Patriots gear up for the start of their quest to get back to the Super Bowl. Thousands of fans descended upon the practice fields in Foxboro, filling the sideline bleachers and hills. Hundreds flocked to the stadium’s ramps, getting a glimpse of their hometown NFL team. Thursday’s joint scrimmage with the Eagles marked the last time that the Patriots will practice in front of their fans this summer, with the home opener a month away. Duke Lally-Namohla, 12, came out to training camp, having just moved back to the Foxboro area after living in Hawaii with his family the past eight years. The youngster has lofty expectations for the Patriots this season, predicting they have what it takes to make a deep playoff run. New England lost in demoralizing fashion to the Seahawks last February, 29-13, as the Seattle defense manhandled the Patriots’ offense. When the two teams meet in a season opening clash on Sept. 9 in Seattle, the Patriots are expected to look a stronger, more battle-tested squad after an explosive offseason. Lally-Namohla said the acquisition of AJ Brown convinced him to attend Thursday’s practice. Facing his former team, the star wide receiver caught two passes, including a red-zone touchdown grab. “If we get to the playoffs,” Lally-Namohla told the Herald. “I think we will make a deep run. I really do. Any team that makes it to the playoffs is a good team, but if we do make it, I think we’ll win.” Jon Ho, of Newton, said he feels “really good” about the team heading into the season, but he hopes cornerback Christian Gonzalez secures a contract extension sooner than later. Gonzalez, playing under a 4-year, $15.1 million rookie contract, just received a fifth-year option for $18.1 million, but he is looking for a bigger, longer-term extension. “It’s very unique,” Ho said of watching the Patriots square off against the Eagles in practice, “because you can actually get the sense of how good they are against actual competition.” With the return of football in Foxboro, Gillette Stadium PA announcer Mike “Sarge” Riley is back to a sense of normalcy. Riley, 41, entering his ninth year as the “Voice of Gillette,” called all seven World Cup matches at Boston Stadium, watching the globe unite in Foxboro. “There’s a lot of excitement here, coming off a Super Bowl run,” Riley told the Herald. “It’s the best way to see your team up close and personal,” he said of the joint practice. “You don’t have much better access than this.” Dorchester resident Dermot Weir drove his 8-year-old son Israel from New Hampshire, where they’re vacationing this week with family. Weir said he enjoyed “soaking” in the practice environment, noting how expensive it can be to get to a regular season game. He highlighted how he was a season ticket holder for about 15 years, throughout the Tom Brady era, paying about $350 a year at the beginning. The costs, though, skyrocketed to nearly $2,000 a season before he gave them up. Patriots fans are facing an average ticket cost of $605 for the home opener against Pittsburgh on Sept. 20 — almost twice the league-wide average of $386 across all 48 games taking place in September, according to ticket aggregator SeatPick. “I keep trying to explain to him how tough it is to get tickets,” Weir said. “As a season ticket holder, you don’t just want to give them to anybody… you have to be careful.” Kathy Ryan, a Patriots cheerleader in the early 1980s and president of New England Professional Cheerleaders Alumni Association, said she will always root for the team. “The team’s success and the level of commitment from everybody on the team is so high,” Ryan told the Herald. “Everyone’s had a fever pitch because we just expect it. … I wouldn’t want to cheer for any other team. I’m red, white and blue all the way.”