FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The Patriots surprised many around the NFL last month when they traded linebacker Jamie Collins to the Cleveland Browns.It created yet another adjustment for a defense that was already dealing with an injury to linebacker Jonathan Freeny and the offseason trade of pass rusher Chandler Jones.By parting ways with Collins, they not only jettisoned what might have been the most athletic player on New Englands roster, but also instantly put a lot more on the shoulders of veteran linebacker Donta Hightower, second-year player Trey Flowers and rookie Elandon Roberts.The first taste of life without Collins was on Sunday against the Seahawks, and after a 31-24 loss that included the Patriots defense getting pushed around at times late in the game, it appears that unit might take time before it completely figures things out.New England gave up a season-high 31 points to the Seahawks , and allowed an opponent to gain 400 or more yards for the second time this season.Its certainly not all one thing, but in total we obviously need to do a better job than what were doing, coach Bill Belichick said of some of his teams defensive breakdowns Sunday. Thats all the way across the board, all the areas of the defense; front, coverage, run defense, turnovers, you name it. Its not all bad, but it needs to be better.The Patriots did hold the Seahawks to a field goal on four of their seven trips inside the red zone, while sacking Russell Wilson three times.But Wilson managed three touchdown passes on Seattles other three red zone opportunities, including a pivotal eight-play, 48-yard drive capped by a 15-yard pass to Doug Baldwin early in the fourth quarter. The Patriots struggled to get any pressure up front on Wilson during the drive, which took only 4:05 off the clock.We just struggled, Flowers said. It was a tough game, we played a good team. We left some plays out there, no doubt about it.Despite the miscues, there were individual bright spots to build on.The most promising effort might have come from Flowers, who posted his second straight two-sack game in his first career start at defensive end.Meanwhile Roberts, elevated to Collins old spot in the starting lineup Sunday, was credited with only one solo tackle while assisting on three more.After dealing with an early-season knee issue, Hightower continued to be productive with his second 10-tackle game of 2016. But with seven games left, he could certainly use some help from his teammates.Despite the shortcomings, defensive captain Devin McCourty said hes confident they will be able to figure things out.I think weve got room for improvement, he said. We make a couple of stops, not just in the red (zone) area, but early on drives (and) on long drives -- I think we come out with a win. The offense moved the ball. We just gotta get a couple of stops to help out.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL---Follow Kyle Hightower on Twitter a http://www.twitter.com/khightowerChina Jerseys 2020 . -- Three close looks at the bucket, three misses. Wholesale Jerseys China .35 million, one-year contract that avoided salary arbitration. Plouffe batted .254 with 14 home runs and 52 RBIs in 477 at-bats last season, his second as a regular in the lineup. https://www.cheapjerseysfromchinareview.com/ . The home side created most of the chances but struggled to break down Braunschweigs resilient defence, resulting in the Bundesligas 1,000th scoreless draw. NFL Jerseys 2020 . Goals from Jerome Boateng, Franck Ribery and Thomas Mueller extended Bayerns unbeaten run to a record 37 matches. "This record is incredible," Bayern coach Pep Guardiola said. China NFL Jerseys . In the response filed Wednesday to the complaint by 30-year-old Alexander Bradley, attorneys say the former University of Florida player is invoking his Fifth Amendment right that protects people from incriminating themselves. NAPA, Calif. -- The comeback is on hold, along with a sobering admission from Tiger Woods. His game is vulnerable and not yet ready for competition. And perhaps not for prime time viewing, either.How much this has to do with Woods own insecurities about his game and how it might look are all part of the complex package you get when dealing with someone who was so stunningly good for so long and who is now faced with being far away from those dizzying heights of greatness.After a lot of soul-searching and honest reflection, I know that I am not yet ready to play on the PGA Tour or compete in Turkey, Woods said on his website. My health is good, and I feel strong, but my game is vulnerable and not where it needs to be.That Woods, 40, would be so blunt as to his own deficiencies right now is jarring, even knowing that the 14-time major winner has been through a significant amount of pain and a slow rehabilitation from two surgeries late in 2015.It was Woods, after all, who opened up the door to this return, saying more than a month ago that he hoped to be back this week at the Safeway Open but also noting that he had a lot of work to do in that period to get ready.The Ryder Cup -- where he was a vice captain in Minnesota -- and Hurricane Matthew near his South Florida home didnt help from a preparation standpoint. Neither was a Tiger Woods Foundation event on Monday and Tuesday a couple of hours down the road from here at Pebble Beach, where he was the host of a big fundraiser.And yet with all those distractions, Woods officially committed to the Safeway Open on Friday -- only to pull out three days later.The timing is odd and has led to numerous conspiracy theories about his motives. It certainly is not helped by the lack of information about his rehabilitation, his practice routine or how much golf he has played.Notah Begay, Woods long-time friend who also works as an analyst for Golf Channel, said Monday that the golfer had only begun hitting drivers in earnest six weeks ago. And yet Woods agent, Mark Steinberg, said way back in April that Woods had worked that club back into his practice routine at that point.He was hitting drivers during a clinic, a full-out practice session and a five-hole outing when he opened up his Bluejack National golf course design in Houston later that month, but the information about his practice pretty much dried up afterward. Woods said in June that he had yet to put multiple days of golf together.There are no physical complications at all, Steinberg said Monday. I dont know if its mental or just (his) golf game. He hasnt played competitive golf in 14 months now. As hes worked at his game of late, he just felt it wasnt up to the quality necessary to compete right now.Why Woods felt his game was OK on Friday but not on Monday is just another in a long line of mysteries surrounding the golfer, who has endured three back surgeries and four knee operations in a career that used to routinely see him rebound from layoffs, maladies and even arthroscopic procedures.ddddddddddddBut the back surgeries have been a different deal. Throw in his well-documented chipping woes from early in 2015 and it shows just how many pieces have to be put back together.Woods said that his first holes of golf came in April -- eight months after he had tied for 10th at the Wyndham Championship. Even there, Woods had swing issues that needed to be addressed, and they werent magically going to be cured when he first picked up a club again.So there were the physical problems to overcome, a work-in-progress swing and short-game issues, just to start. Then came the ability to practice and play regularly. Throw in the mental side of putting it all together and we have perhaps what has never been associated with Woods -- fragility.Those seven days at the Ryder Cup didnt help his preparation, but they certainly were a boost to his competitiveness.It gave him even more energy: Man, I want to be back in the locker room, Steinberg said. It lit even more of a fire for him. But when he realized that his game just wasnt there, it was very frustrating.Steinberg said Woods felt he didnt believe it was appropriate to make his return at the Turkish Airlines Open, a European Tour event. It was out of respect for the PGA Tour that he is skipping that tournament abroad next month, not some doom and gloom scenario that keeps him from being ready then.Of course, there are other PGA Tour events after that and before the Hero World Challenge in December in the Bahamas, where Woods hosts the annual tournament for his foundation.Perhaps he sees a softer opening for himself in the Bahamas. Woods has a home in the resort community of Albany on New Providence in The Bahamas and knows Albany Golf Course, one that is relatively benign. The tournament features just 18 players, but it was at the same event -- one he has won five times -- played in Orlando two years ago where he tied for last.The good news is Woods now has another two months to prepare. Hell have the various corporate and foundation duties that take up his time, but there should be plenty of room for repetitive rounds of golf, recovery and practice.The next step then is tournament golf, ugly or not. At some point, Woods needs to jump back between the ropes, take a few hits and learn to cope with the game on a level he made look so easy for so long.If not December, then when? ' ' '