FOXBORO -- Bill Belichick did not hold back when talking about rookie struggles with Patriots this season.<br /><br />“You’re certainly accurate in saying it’s been a challenging season for them,” Belichick said. “I think they’ve tried to do the best they can. It’s new for all of us and new for them, but I think they’ve taken a responsible approach to it and have continued to work hard and get better.<br /><br />“They’re further behind than any rookie group that I’ve ever had before based on the offseason situation, and that rolled into training camp, too. They’ve got a lot of ground to make up to be competitive with players that have a lot more experience and have had a lot more training than they’ve had.”
