FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:
1. In evaluating themselves during the bye week, one of the things that seemed to irritate players the most is how inconsistent they've been at the start of games. So to finish the season strong, a heavy emphasis has been put on that.
Consider that the Patriots have scored only 47 points in the first quarter this season. Two seasons ago, when they won the Super Bowl, they had scored 87 first-quarter points through 10 games.
The 47 points in the first quarter are the second-lowest total for the Patriots at this point in the season in the past decade (44, in 2013).