FOXBORO, Mass. — The Patriots got back to work Monday, and they certainly didn't like what they were forced to watch on film.
Yet, they know it's a necessary evil in the NFL. If they want to progress as a team, they've got to work even more diligently after losses, especially ones that stung as bad as Sunday's 34-31 meltdown in Buffalo.
They put the film to bed Monday before departing from Gillette Stadium. Just like a typical week, they'll be off Tuesday before reporting Wednesday to begin full preparations for the Raiders.
"I think there were a lot of positive things in the game — there just weren't enough, that's all," Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said. "There are too many negative things. In the end, that overrode them. We made our share of plays. [It was] certainly a competitive game, but they made more than we did."
The mistakes sting more after a loss, whether they were physical — such as missed tackles, poor throws, drops — or mental — like bad reads and poor communication that led to matchup problems or blown coverages. Those are the types of miscues that need to be corrected with film study.
"I think it's good for us to get in and watch this," linebacker Jerod Mayo said. "We have a short-term memory whether it's a win or a loss, and we're onto the next one."
The true challenge will be responding from the loss and moving forward with a better mindset. Through adversity, the Patriots must turn the defeat into something positive at this early point in the season.
"We definitely want to be a resilient group of guys to come off a game like that, to lose in that type of fashion," cornerback Kyle Arrington said. "[We] definitely can't wait to put the pads on again next Sunday. But it's definitely going to be a long, hard week of practice, but we'll definitely be up for the challenge."
