I think it was pretty clear to everybody that we just weren't consistent enough to win the football game today. Offensively we couldn't put anything together. It looked like from the field level that we had some chances. I'll have to see the tape to review it because you can't see it all clearly from down there. We just didn't execute well enough to get anything done and to stay in the game or to score enough points or to give our defense the hope that we were going to score enough points to stay in it. So it was a long day. It was a long day for our team. I did think that we kicked it and covered it well. In the special teams area, obviously we made some plays. I thought our punt team did an outstanding job of trying to help us establish field position. It seemed like whenever we got them back there though, we couldn't keep them there defensively. Defensively, we [inaudible] them. It was pretty good. We hate to give up that last one but they hung in there and fought. We're just really struggling offensively to establish much of anything. What can I tell you?

The mood of your team from going 5-1 to 5-4, how do you get them back together?
They're not difficult to get to. They're not a group, certainly to this point, that point fingers at each other. They just tend to look at themselves, blame themselves. We all have to get better. And certainly that includes me, too, to try to get them more ready to play and to help them with different things to get ready to play. Attitude-wise though, I do not see it as any issue at all with this group. They will suffer. They are suffering now, but they will be in on Wednesday and they will start working.

Trent [Edwards] did such a good job of protecting the ball through the beginning of the year, are you concerned that this is three games in row where he has turned the ball over multiple times?
Well I can say that I don't really understand the question of "concerned." We are concerned when we lose games. We have lost a number in a row now. Not are you are concerned with Trent in particular. You don't want your quarterback to turn it over. I think we have a quarterback. I really like this guy. I think he is going to be a real fine quarterback. To start the season he played so unlike a young quarterback that now whenever he makes an error, we think there is something wrong. And you don't want him to, but we are going to have to live with some things because I think he is an outstanding player. It was really good to see he and another young player hook up at the end, the kind of throw you want to throw to a 6-[foot]-6 receiver really. So we need to get it back. We can't turn it over. We know those things in this league and we have done it. Now we have done it three games in a row and it has hurt us.

To what extent were the offensive struggles today attributed to the Patriots defense?
You know there is no doubt. We all know who we are talking about here. They are a very, very talented team. They are a well-coached team. They did a terrific job. Clearly, they beat us. They perform well year in and year out. I don't need to tell you about them.

What happened on the first challenge?
Well, I should have taken the challenge flag and run onto the field with it. I threw it on the sideline and clearly they couldn't see it. From my vantage point it just looked like a catch. As I started to get more information, I thought it was a challenge, I pulled it out and dropped it there. So, it was me. I need to get down the field because they can't see it.

At the end of the half, you called a timeout before you punted. Why did you use a timeout then?
For a number of reasons. First of all we let the clock run way down. Secondly, we could see how they lined up or how they were going to line up. That can always help you to some degree.

Did you have a fake on that?
No. No. Does that help you or satisfy your question?

You could have used the timeout later in the half when you stopped them deep in their own territory.
Yes, possibly.

Coach, what was the plan in terms of [Wes] Welker? Obviously, you had a young guy in Reggie Corner, it looked like you had [Jabari] Greer on him for most of the game. Can you explain the plan going in?
No. There is no reason to do that. We play them again. We will give them an opportunity to figure that out. I don't think it will be real complicated for them. But, I don't see any reason to talk about how we planned for Welker.

Welker kind of nickel and dimed you today. He didn't kill you over the top or anything, but that's what he does I guess.
Well yes, he is a tremendous player. I mean just a tremendous football player. He does that week in and week out to everybody.

Late in the game the defense couldn't get off the field. They ran 19 plays, but you still had a chance at that point. The frustration with not being able to get off the field?
Well it definitely is. Like I said, they are a frustrated group in the locker room and so are we. I just need to find more ways that I can help them because they play hard. They will play for you and they are not going to ever quit. But again, we have to make the critical plays and we are not. The opponents are and today the Patriots did on that drive. We had them at 3rd and some good yardage that favored the defense in that drive. But, they just converted on us. We just need to make more plays.

How much of a hole is it to be 0-3 in the division at this point?
You know, it is a hole. It is a hole we would rather not be in. But I would certainly take 5-4 over starting to take more wins away from us. I would certainly choose to be where we are now over where we have been the past two years. We are in a decent position. Again, we would choose to be 9-0 clearly. But, we are not there. We have to deal with 5-4, go on and prove ourselves, get better and solve some of these consistency issues, and take care of more of the details. Again, it starts with me.

Did the call on Ko Simpson during the first drive, did that have any impact on your guys for the rest of the game?
No, I don't think so. Again, you don't want that call to go against you, certainly at that point. It's a big yardage. No, I don't think over the course of the game that it did. I just don't. It didn't look like it took away our aggressiveness or anything, but I wish we hadn't gotten that call.

Does your level of involvement or approach this week change? You are involved with the offense as I know, but will you change your approach this week?
When it's not going the way you want it, you look at everything. So, we'll re-evaluate everything and see what we want to do in terms of practice, in terms of preparation, in terms of the whole thing. So we'll evaluate it.

With regard to the issues that have been talked about offensively, what has been the common denominator over the past three games? Is there one thing that you can pinpoint? What exactly do you think it is?
Well, we talk about it and we are not alone. Everybody in the league talks about it. You can't lose the turnover battle in this league and not suffer the consequences. We have turned it over. But inside of that, too, we are missing some opportunities on the field to make plays. Everybody in this league is good enough to beat you and everybody in this league is good enough to beat us. So we have to play a high level all the time. Certainly, our division, everybody is pretty talented in our division. So we have to play at an even higher level there. And really, you just cannot continuously lose the turnover battle.