After loss, Patriots will work to return to Super Bowl

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INDIANAPOLISBill Belichick loved the bounceback of the 2011 Patriots.

Their ability to deal with adversity -- whether a single play, a series, a half, or a game -- was remarkable even to a man whod coached in the league 36 years and seen some tough teams.

Now I guess well find out just how deep their resiliency goes.

After a crushing defeat in Super Bowl XLVI, the Patriots are going to have to dust off the ashes of this season and start over. Thered be no better testament to their will than getting back to the Super Bowl next year.

But, as veteran defensive lineman Gerard Warren said, it feels right now like the Patriots just climbed Everest and fell off at the top.

Believe it or not, the page was being turned to the 2012 season before the players had even left their Lucas Oil Stadium locker room.

We just look to the future, baby, know what I'm saying, said Deion Branch as he tucked gear in his equipment bag. Going into the season, nobody expected us to be here. I think that's the first thing. We always knew we had a good team. Just think how much better we'llbe next year given another year for these guys with this under their belt, having the experience to play in this game.

The Patriots will have offseason decisions to make all over the board. The NFL Combine is in two weeks and the Patriots have two first-round picks and two seconds, so their evaluations will be critical.

Free agency starts in about a month and Branch is one of several veterans with expiring contracts. Also in that group are Wes Welker, defensive ends Mark Anderson and Andre Carter, running backs BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Kevin Faulk, guardcenter Dan Connolly, defensive linemen Gerard Warren and Shaun Ellis, linebackers Tracy White, Niko Koutivides and Gary Guyton, special teams ace Matt Slater and defensive backs James Ihedigbo, Nate Jones and Antwaun Molden

Welker will likely be franchised. Faulk, Warren and Ellis may be at the end of the line. Guyton, too.

But the Patriots have a core on both sides of the ball to work with.

Weve got a young team, said linebacker Jerod Mayo. This one stings. Well remember it for a long time and this offseason. Well get back to work real soon to get back to this point. You know it takes a lot of work to get back to this point. It will be a lot of work.

Brandon Spikes, who can be a key player for this team if he works all year as he seemed to down the stretch, was asked if the Patriots can get back to the Super Bowl in 2012.

Absolutely, he said. We wont have the same defensive unit, we know that. Im pretty sure there are going to be some changes. Theres always changes in this business. Were just going to go to work with what we have. Me, personally, I think we have a young defense with a lot of talent, a lot of good guys . . . As long as we can just keep together and get better as a whole unit, I think the sky is the limit for us.

Branch was already pushing all his chips into the middle of the table for 2012, saying, I promise you, we aint gonna have the same feeling next year. I promise you that. I promise you that. Not with the offseason were gonna have. The minicamps, the training camps, were not gonna have the same type of year. Were not gonna have the same feeling next year.

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