The positive vibes emanating from the Patriots' first two preseason games came to a screeching halt last week when rookie quarterback Sam Bradford picked apart New England's first-string defense in a preseason loss to the St. Louis Rams.

Granted, it's still preseason, but watching Bradford -- the overall No. 1 pick in this year's draft -- complete 15 of 22 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns had to be a bit unsettling for coach Bill Belichick, who is still uncertain about what his defensive rotation will be when Week 1 rolls around.

The night ended on a last-second field goal by St. Louis, but Belichick was "disappointed in the whole game" despite the minor positives his team showed through the first three quarters.

"Regardless of how the last kick turned out, whether it was good or not good, that's really not the point," Belichick said. "I don't think we did things as well as we are capable of doing them, so that part is disappointing.

"It doesn't make you feel very good as a coach. And when your team doesn't perform well, that's a reflection on the coaching and how the coaches feel."

The Patriots have spent most of the summer trying to sort out the issues with their starting defense, ranging from who'll be their primary pass rusher to who starts in the secondary.

Thursday's loss exposed a few flaws in the pass rush in addition to some question marks about the team's lack of discipline, which was evident by the seven penalties they committed for 72 yards.

All told, the blame pie could be split into a number of pieces; the Patriots didn't put nearly enough pressure on Bradford and a few miscommunications in the secondary left receivers wide open.

"I think the two are interrelated," Belichick said. "There were times when we had good pressure on the quarterback and hit him and didn't have tight enough coverage, and the ball came out because the receiver was open.

"There were other times when we didn't have quite enough pressure to force the ball out quickly when we had him covered. It was a combination of things. I would say it was a little bit of both."

Now, the fringe players on the team will use the final preseason game as one last audition to land a spot on the active roster. Likewise, the coaching staff might take it as an opportunity to sort out what the starting defense will look like in the regular-season opener, which means some potential starters could play into the second half if necessary.

The finale is always predictable, as is what decisions Belichick and his staff will make within the next two weeks. They've worked with a number of different combinations at linebacker, cornerback and safety, but judging by last week's results, nothing is set in stone just yet.

This would be considered more of a transition year than a rebuilding one based on the fact the players being given more responsibility are expected to make an immediate impact. Only time will tell, but it's clear there's more work to be done before Week 1.

"There are certainly a lot of things we need to correct," Belichick said.

--Now that Wes Welker has cleared the hurdle of live preseason action, it would seem a virtual certainty that the guy who's caught more passes than anyone in the NFL over the last three seasons will be in the New England starting lineup on opening day against the Bengals.

But the question remains -- can Welker be the same, key cog in the Patriots' offense that he's been in his three seasons in New England?

While there is little doubt that Randy Moss strikes fear into opposing defenses thanks to his big-play ability, it's Welker who's been the most consistent force on the New England offense since its genesis in 2007. He's caught 346 passes -- topping the 100-catch mark for three-straight seasons. Marvin Harrison holds the NFL record with fourth straight.

Is it realistic that after blowing out the ACL in his left knee in last year's regular season finale that Welker can still be the same nearly unstoppable pass-catching machine out of the slot?

Welker himself seemed to understand the magnitude of his own appearance in the Patriots second preseason game in Atlanta, and as such doesn't seem likely to assume that just because he's on the field in September that he'll be the same guy he was before the injury.

"I think they are really significant," Welker said of the half-dozen plays last Thursday night at the Georgia Dome. "This is something I've really been working toward and really trying to come back. To be able to do it here in the second preseason game is kind of a milestone for me. It's something I've really been looking forward to and something I've worked my tail off to get to this whole offseason."

But he admitted that the injury is not yet an afterthought.

"It's a step forward," Welker said. "I don't know if we're all the way there yet."

That's the uncertainty Tom Brady and the Patriots face heading into the regular season. Sure, it's great to have No. 83 back in the slot ready to catch passes. But can he be the same guy? Can he find a way to slip two would-be tacklers to pick up 5 extra yards and a first down?

Those are the questions that Welker will have to answer in the regular season for a New England team that has more question marks and changes on the roster than at maybe any other time in the Bill Belichick era.

For now, all of New England is happy to see its diminutive playmaker back on the field. But if the Patriots are to be a legitimate AFC contender, heck if they're to compete for what should be a challenging AFC East title, Welker will have to be more than just a shell of himself.

Welker has surprised everyone with the speed of his rehab and recovery. He's on the field barely seven months after blowing out his left knee. Now, he must prove that he can be the same consistent impact player he's been for New England throughout his first three seasons with the team. If he can do that -- in doing so tying an NFL record with his fourth straight 100-catch campaign with, ho hum, a blown ACL in between -- it truly will be remarkable.

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