BOSTON -- Tom Brady believes the New England Patriots lacked confidence and mental toughness last season. He also believes they didn't respond well to adversity.
"When the going got tough, we didn't get going," the quarterback said Wednesday during a radio interview on WEEI-AM in Boston. "We weren't really a mentally tough team last year."
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The Patriots were 10-6, then lost 33-14 to the Baltimore Ravens at home in the first round of the playoffs as Brady threw three interceptions. New England had won three Super Bowls in the previous eight seasons with Brady, then lost team leaders Tedy Bruschi and Rodney Harrison to retirement and Mike Vrabel and Richard Seymour in trades.
Last season, the Patriots lost four games in which they led at halftime and were 2-6 on the road.
"Games that we lose in the fourth quarter, games that we lose in the second half, or losing on the road like we did, that can be lack of trust, lack of confidence," Brady said. "There are a lot of issues you have when that repeats itself time and time again over the course of the season."
Brady said he hopes the players whom coach Bill Belichick obtained during the offseason can make the team more mentally tough.
"Coach always used the words 'mentally tough' to us. I always agree with him," Brady said. "I think that's been a big point of emphasis this offseason. Hopefully, we find ways to address it with each other and also with coach bringing in different players and to see if they can bring a little bit of that to our team."
Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press
