FOXBORO -- Bill Belichick did not hold back when talking about rookie struggles with Patriots this season.

“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.

“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.”