Early on, it looked like the Patriots might be on the receiving end of the blowout they usually administer. But after a slow start and a 13-0 deficit, Tom Brady and the offense got warmed up against the Packers, before fading down the stretch, 26-21.

The loss drops the Patriots to 9-3, but they still remain the AFC's No. 1 seed, followed by the Broncos.

But that development doesn't make quarterback Tom Brady feel any better about Sunday's result.

“I just wish we won this one,” he said after the game. “I think we put a lot into this one. This was just a great test for us. I think the guys knew how important it was for our season. You hate to have the ball right there on the 20-yard line with under three minutes with a chance to go ahead and not do it. It sucked.

“We had our chances. In the end, 21 points isn’t going to be enough against a team like that. So we have to figure out how to score more points.”

Brady ended the afternoon 22 of 35 for 245 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions, but he knows he -- and the rest of the offense -- needs to perform better from one play to the next.

“I think we are playing a little better,” Brady said. “We have our whole season ahead of us. We are in (a) decent position. I think we really have to turn it up. You just realize every possession, every play is an opportunity and if you don’t take advantage of it, you never know which play it’s going to be that in close games like this lead to losses.

“We have to win games. We have to win tough games. We have to find ways to make the important plays when we have them. This team has always found a way to do that. We just didn’t do that today.”

The Patriots travel to San Diego to face the surging Chargers next Sunday night.