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Tom Brady Says Patriots Wide Receivers 'Are Doing the Best They Can Do'

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady defended wide receivers Phillip Dorsett, N'Keal Harry and Jakobi Meyers in his weekly radio appearance on The Greg Hill Show on Monday morning. Brady appeared frustrated with his teammates on the sidelines during the 28–22 loss to the Houston Texans.

Cameras caught Brady telling players that they needed to be "faster", "quicker" and "more explosive." Brady finished the day with 24 of 47 passes completed for 326 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Julian Edelman was his top receiver of the night with six receptions for 106 yards and one touchdown.

“Guys are trying. I have no problem — I love playing with Phillip Dorsett. I love playing with N’Keal," Brady said. "N’Keal is working his tail off. He hasn’t had a lot of opportunities out there and he’s learning as he’s going. To expect someone to go out in their third game of the year and be perfect, I think that is unrealistic for anyone. I love what N’Keal is bringing. We’re gaining confidence every week."

“There’s some good effort out there," Brady later added. "Guys are doing the best they can do in my belief. We’re working hard and trying to do the right thing, and sometimes it’s been good. Other times, we obviously still have work we still have to do. That is just part of playing football. Sometimes people have it figured out early and some people, we’re trying to figure it out as we go. That’s just part of it. That is just part of what we’re dealing with.”

The Patriots receiving corps is not as strong as many would have expected going into the season. Rob Gronkowski retired. New England had Antonio Brown on the team briefly before he was released due to allegations of sexual misconduct that are being investigated by the NFL. Josh Gordon was released in October and is now playing for the Seattle Seahawks. Harry and Meyers have been asked to step up as a rookie receiver and undrafted free agent, respectively.

New England looks to rebound next week when they host the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.