The Patriots ended the regular season ranked third in covering kickoffs, allowing 20.5 yards per return.
Sunday against the Texans, Danieal Manning had a 54-yard average on his four kickoff returns.
Bill Belichick noted the troubling discrepancy during his Monday conference call.
"Overall our kickoff coverage this year has been one of the best things weve done," he began when asked about the long ones they allowed. "Were right at the top of the league in kickoff coverage. We didnt have a good play in the San Francisco game and then we had three bad plays yesterday, but overall thats been probably as consistent as anything weve done as a football team for the entire season. Of course its disappointing. Those are plays that you dont want to happen; certainly not three of them in one game. Thats not what we want. Thats not good enough. It has to be better."
Next up, Baltimore. And All-Pro kick returner Jacoby Jones who brought them back at average of 30.7 yards per return. Belichick didn't signal specific wariness of Jones.
"We face good returners every week. Every team has a good returner; its the National Football League," he reminded. "Just like every team has good runners and good receivers and good passers and good everything; its the National Football League. We have to do a better job than what we did. It starts with mebetter coaching, better playingwe just have to do a better job. Weve done a good job there pretty much all yearas good as anybody in the league hasbut it wasnt anywhere near our standard or where it needs to be yesterday. Its always a huge point of emphasis for us, but it will continue to be. You just cant put a team in that kind of field position consistently and thats what we did."