Belichick: Team in transition

Bill Belichick called the Patriots “a team in transition” at his Monday morning press conference (11:45 a.m. EDT). He opened by commenting on the team’s loss to the Chargers.

“As I said yesterday afternoon, the Chargers really played a good football game. They really outplayed us and out-coached us yesterday, there’s no question about that. I think it just starts for us, by going back to work here. Like we do every week, we have to correct the mistakes, starting at the top with me. I have to do a better job coaching, getting the team ready to go. We need a good week of preparation, a good week of work. We have to play better, execute our plays better. We all just have to do a better job. I know we’re capable of playing better than that. That’s what it was yesterday. It’s certainly not what we’re looking for, what we think we’re capable of. We didn’t play well against a good team, and they played well. That’s the result, probably the way it’s going to go when those two forces collide.”

Earlier this year, Belichick said he’d know more about his team after about four weeks. Asked what he knew about the Patriots now, he said the team was in a period of transition.

“I wish I had a better answer to that question right now,” he said. “There are a number of transitory things going on, or that have gone on over the first four weeks of the season. That’s put things in a little bit of a state of flux. Things aren’t what they were a month ago. Some of them aren’t what they were two weeks ago. Some of them are going to be different in two more weeks, or one more week.

“That’s a little bit of a moving target there.”

Asked about the Patriots’ identity, Belichick said that’s an “ongoing process” and that he didn’t know if the team was at a point where its identity has been created.

Some quick hits from the locker room:

* Linebackers Rosevelt Colvin and Monty Beisel; receiver Troy Brown; and defensive lineman Jarvis Green were a few players drawing large media crowds.

* Beisel compared the loss to the Panthers to yesterday’s loss: “Against Carolina, we felt like we played physically and just made too many mistakes. Yesterday, we got beat physically and mentally. … It was gut-wrenching. They had us up against the ropes all day and left with a KO.”

* Brown on what he’s learned about the Patriots: “We’re very inconsistent.”

* Cornerback Randall Gay, who missed yesterday’s game (ankle), walked through the locker room and appears closer to returning.

Looking ahead, we’ll plan on posting our next update later today, with a look around the AFC East.

–Mike