But the ones available via conference call on Sunday said that it was business as usual inside Gillette Stadium and stressed the importance of focusing on things players could control.

"It's just another day for us," Kyle Love said. "You just have worry about doing your job and getting better every day. It's just another day for us."

"People really don't talk about it," Julian Edelman added. "People are more interested in themselves and focusing on what you need to do to stay on the team."

Love survived his first cuts as an undrafted rookie and now finds himself as an established starter without sweating it out. Despite that security, he still feels the same at this time of year.

"I just come in and try to work hard every day," Love said. "Give it your best effort. Nothing really changes. I just want to keep doing my job and doing what I've been doing."

The fact that the roster will be down to 75 players by tomorrow afternoon doesn't impact the work the team is doing to prepare for the opener in Tennessee Sept. 9. On defense, that means getting enough healthy bodies in the secondary to establish some kind of cohesion.

With several new bodies such as Steve Gregory, Tavon Wilson, Marquice Cole and Alfonzo Dennard trying to settle in, cornerback Devin McCourty likes what he's seen thus far.

"We've had a good mix. They've done a good job of picking up what we've been doing," McCourty said. "I think we still have a ways to go. We're just trying to get better each week. We're not there yet. We have a little more than week left to practice for the season opener and we're working at it."

One player who helped himself against Tampa was Cole. With injuries affecting the depth in the secondary, Cole served as a slot corner with the regulars and handled himself well.

"I think he did a number of good things, as he has the whole preseason," Bill Belichick said a day after the loss to the Bucs. "He made plays in the kicking game and made plays on defense."

Cole has enjoyed a solid end to training camp as he began showing up regularly during the final week of open practices. He brought that strong performance to Tampa and perhaps earned a roster spot as a result.

One other interesting element from the Bucs game was the emergence of Jeff Demps. The Olympic speedster got a chance to serve as a return man and on offense, showcasing his blazing speed on a 29-yard burst down the sideline.

"He's been doing a good job for us," Matthew Slater said. "He's come in here and working to get better just like everybody else. Like any other player in the league he has talents that he brings to the table and he's looking to refine those talents just like the rest of us are."

With injuries and unique situations like Demps' it will be interesting to see how Belichick handles his first round of cuts. It is during this preliminary set that he's generally included a veteran, ostensibly in an effort to allow that player the added time of catching on elsewhere. Last season it was respected safety James Sanders let go during the trim to 75.