BOSTON (WEEI.com) -- With Sunday's 17-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the New England Patriots will close out the year 3-5 away from home -- their worst road record since 2009.
The offense has really struggled in those games, averaging 16.6 points and scored just 10 points in three of the five losses.
Tom Brady remained somewhat optimistic heading into the final two regular-season games, before the Patriots likely have to go on the road at some point in the playoffs.
"It's nothing other than playing great football," Brady said Monday on "Mut & Callahan" of winning on the road. "It's easier to do that at home. The communication is a little better, the momentum swings are a little bit bigger and so forth. We've done a great job playing at home this year. I certainly don't feel we can't win on the road. We had our chances yesterday, we certainly had our chances against Miami.
"I am not worried about playing on the road. We just have to win. We have to win at home. We have to beat Buffalo. That is where we have to get back to work, getting on the practice field and just go up there, win the game and try and win the division. That is our first goal."
Added Brady: "You're always trying to overcome situations and adversities. You either get the job done or you don't. There could be a million reasons why you don't get the job done, but that is pretty cut and dry. Again, yesterday we had plenty of opportunity and we didn't get the job done. It's disappointing for all of us, but it's just a tough loss. We put a lot into it. We're trying a bunch of different things and they are trying some different things. They had a tough few weeks where they have lost three in a row kind of on the last play and they played a little bit better than we did yesterday. We just have to play really well here the last two weeks of the year. Both these games are huge. They certainly are not going to be easy. Buffalo has the best defense in the league. We got to go earn it. No one is going to give it to us. Certainly, no one is going to feel sorry for us. We just have to go do it."
For all the mistakes the Patriots made against the Steelers, they still had a chance to tie the game late and force overtime, following Chris Boswell's 48-yard field goal with 2:30 left to make it a 17-10 game.
Brady actually led the offense down to the Steelers' 16-yard line with 44 seconds left, but then things went down hill. After a 5-yard completion to James White, there was a holding penalty followed by three straight incompletions, all thrown into, or out of the end zone to end the game.
Brady explained why the throws were all to the end zone. (It appeared White was open for check downs on at least two of the three final plays.)
"You are fighting a couple of things at that point," Brady said on "Mut & Callahan."
"You're fighting the clock, so it is hard to throw the ball in the field of play because you're not sure if you are going to get another play off, even though maybe we could have gotten a first down. We didn't have a enough time, so they kind of sensed the goal-line and I was telling guys to find a place for me to get the ball and and put your body in position in between the defender. It's just a tough play anyway you cut it. They had a lot of guys looking at the ball and your guys are trying to run vertical. They played it well."
The Patriots offense has failed to get into a rhythm, whether it is because of injuries or roster turnover. The one positive Brady noted was the unit is very healthy for this time of year.
"It's taken awhile for things to come together for us," he said. "I think every week you learn, and it's learn right up through the end of the year. ... We have a lot of football ahead of us. We just have to go play really well and try and get this one against Buffalo, which will be a big challenge and then we will see how things shake out. Hopefully we can have a great game this week."
