Missed FGs not seen as long-range concern

FOXBOROUGH -- Stephen Gostkowski missed two long field goal attempts in Friday night's 24-7 exhibition victory over the Panthers -- he is now 3 of 6 in the preseason -- but coach Bill Belichick isn't sounding the alarms.

"The two he missed were a couple feet from being in," Belichick said yesterday. "The margin for error on those two was not very big. It was not good enough, but I don't think it's that far off."

Gostkowski's misses came from 53 and 46 yards, both wide left.

In the exhibition season, he has hit field goals from 23, 32, and 23 yards. His other miss came from 33 yards.

"Obviously, every kicker would like to make all his kicks," Belichick said. "We just have to be a little more accurate."

Receiver Donte' Stallworth finished Friday's game with three catches for 45 yards, one of the grabs a high-arcing 37-yard pass from Tom Brady during the team's opening drive of the third quarter.

Belichick praised Stallworth for the play, on which he adjusted to the underthrown ball. Stallworth feels he's made progress.

"I'm getting pretty comfortable with it," he said. "The more I'm able to be out there with the guys, being able to get in synch with them, that's the most important thing for me. Hopefully over the next couple of weeks it's just really to the point where I'm real comfortable, super comfortable."

After barely lining up with a tight end in the exhibition opener against the Buccaneers, the Patriots used multiple-tight-end sets regularly Friday night. That meant more playing time for veteran Marcellus Rivers, who lined up in the spot that would normally be occupied by the injured Kyle Brady. Rivers, signed as a free agent Aug. 8, had two catches for 27 yards and a touchdown.

The increased work of the tight ends has benefited the offense, according to Belichick.

"It's helping [us] become a little more consistent because we're able to get in formations we are a little more comfortable in," he said. "Not that we don't do a little bit of everything, but to not have a tight end in the game, that doesn't happen all that much for us."

Of the Panthers' 10 possessions, the Patriots forced five three-and-outs . . . Belichick on how the team is likely to approach Thursday's exhibition finale at home against the Giants: "A lot of people who played a lot in the game [Friday] night, we'll probably switch some of that playing time around this week so we can kind of get a look at everybody here in these last two preseason games." . . . The Patriots must trim their roster to 75 by Tuesday.