Patriots quarterback Tom Brady seemed as down on his team's play as the rest of New England in his weekly interview on WEEI radio on Monday morning.
"Pretty poor... that's about the only way to describe it," he said of the team's lackluster showing in a 26-10 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night Football, which dropped the team's record to 1-2 on the season.
Brady completed only 54 percent of his passes (14 for 26) on Sunday, throwing for 133 yards. He threw for one touchdown pass against one interception.
"It really comes down to us getting the job done," Brady said. "We're starting slow, we're getting behind... we've gotta figure out how to get started faster."
"This game we didn't do well in any of the three phases," he added. "We've gotta perform at a much higher level. Unless we execute, the outcomes won't be different."
And though he sounded a bit down, Brady clearly isn't giving up on the season just three games in.
"We're gonna keep fighting.We're gona figure out a way to get this thing turned around," he said.
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"Last night was just a bad night," Brady added. "I think we can play a lot better. But thinking and doing are two different things."
Brady was also asked about an ESPN report that the Patriots tried to trade tight end Rob Gronkowski to the Lions in the offseason only to have Gronk say he'd retire rather than accept a trade.
Gronkowski confirmed the report after Sunday night's game, saying he didn't want to leave the Patriots because he only wants to play with Brady.
While Brady said he didn't want to get into "hypotheticals," he did say how lucky he has been to play with Gronkowski.
"I feel as strongly about him as he does of me," he said. "I love playing with Gronk. I'm happy he's on our team.
The Patriots are back home next week against the Miami Dolphins, who are off to a 3-0 start. Kickoff is 1 p.m. in Foxboro.
