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Replay: Best of the Week on Patriots.com Radio Thu Oct 10 - 04:00 PM | Sun Oct 13 - 10:40 AM

Bill Belichick Postgame Press Conf.

Foxboro Stadium - Foxborough, MABill Belichick speaks to the press.

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            We made some plays in the game, but we didn't make enough to win and they made more than we did. There were opportunities on both sides and in the end they were able to do a bit more with their opportunities than we were with ours.  

Q: Did the offense surprise you, did you expect a lot better than the way they performed out there?

B: We had some trouble in pass protection. Tampa mixed it up. They blitzed some, they covered some, they kept us off-balance and I have to give them credit they have a good pass rush and we need to protect better, but they did a good job.

Q: On offensive line changes…

B: We had one situation where we felt like we needed to change it and then we just rotated there at the left guard.

Q: Andersen snapped on shotgun?

B: Jason (Andersen) did the shotgun snap in the two-minute situations, yes.

Q: Were you pleased with the defense?

B: We gave up too many plays and too many points all the way around and didn't score enough I don't think. We lost as a team and that is the way it is.

Q: What does Drew need to do?

B: What we really tried to do was get the protection better and we had several cases where we should have had better protection and we missed some assignments. We had a couple of missed assignments in there and we had a couple of critical breakdowns as well. I don't think it was a question of what he was able to do as we need to haven better consistency in the passing game all the way around.

Q: Can you comment on Tampa Bay's coverage on defense?

B: Like I said they mixed their coverages up, they did a good job of mixing them up and then they sent pressure with coverage and they kept us off-balance. We hit them a few times, but they hit us plenty of times too. That is their scheme and that is what they do.

Q: What do you need to do to be in balance?

B: We need to run the ball better, that would help keep things off-balance if we can run better.

Q: Did you ever think of putting Michael Bishop in at quarterback today?

B: Michael inadvertently violated team policy and so that was the reason. It was nothing that he did intentionally, but nevertheless it was still something that I felt like I had to discipline him for.

Q: Any injuries?

B: We didn't have any injuries?

Q: Why did you lose?

B: Poor play, poor play.

Q: Were there any positives?

B: There were some positive things in the game, but not enough to win. Not enough against a big team like Tampa and the opportunities that we had we need to do a little bit more with them. We had a big play on a punt return, and started off with a turnover on the kickoff, but we could have done a little better job in a couple of other areas. A few yards here or there could have made a big difference.

Q: Greg Robinson-Randall not being hurt and having worked with the first unit today, were you not happy with his performance in practice?

B: Grant Williams is the most experienced second tackle on the team along with Bruce (Armstrong). Grant has missed some time and we were able to get him back out here this week and work with him and we felt like going into the game that the two experienced tackles was our best chance.

Q: Is the play of the offensive line your biggest concern?

B: I think we need to shore up every area. We had some problems on defense, we had a few problems in the kicking game and we had some problems on offense. We didn't play as smart a game as we need to play. There were a couple of situations where we could have played much better than we played them and I think those could have had a big outcome on the game. I think they could have been a big factor in the outcome of the game and we just didn't handle them as well as we needed to handle them. I think there are plenty of things that we need to work on.

Q: Any particular emotions from you going in as NFL head coach for the first time in a regular season game in a long time?

B: It is not too enjoyable when you don't win. That is true every week. It is a bottom line business. Sunday at four you are either on top or you are on the bottom one or the other. There is no middle ground.

Q:

B: I think we are a better football team than we played out there today. We played a good football team, but again we had our opportunities and we took advantage of some of them, but we need to capitalize on more of them. That is something we are going to have to do better in coming weeks or we will have the same problems. We have got to move forward.

Q: Do you think (Drew) Bledsoe took a bad beating today?

B: There was obviously pressure on the quarterback. I don't know that I would characterize it that way, I would characterize it that there was pressure on the quarterback. We got behind and had to throw in the end and they were able to tee off and that is what is going to happen when you are down by eleven points in the second half. You have to throw the ball. That is what is going to happen.

Q:

B: It is awful early, but they have a good defense and they have a good front seven and they are aggressive and they have a good scheme.

Q: What did you say to the team after?

B: I would like to keep the comments to the team between myself and the team.

Q: Did they show you anything you weren't expecting today?

B: I think they pretty much ran their regular package. I mean they have a little variety in it and they showed us that offensively and defensively. It is opening day and they certainly did some things that they hadn't shown in the preseason, but they were things that at one time or another we have seen from them.

Q: What does it say to you about Bledsoe, he was knocked down 13 times and then at the end of the game he throws a touchdown pass and then the next drive leads the team down the field what does that say to you about him?

B: I think everybody has a lot of respect for Drew. The team elected him as the offensive captain. I think everybody respects Drew's competitiveness, as they should.

Q: What about the Tampa touchdown?

B: That was a critical mistake in the game, critical mistake.

Q: Any explanation from the player on that and why that happened, were you expecting a spike?

B: We didn't react to the play well at all. We obviously blew it. There is no explanation we blew it.

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