No position was without reproach after the Patriots' 38-17 beatdown in New Orleans, and though they have been the ultimate turn-the-page team — win or lose — under Bill Belichick, several positions now have come under close scrutiny given the tough nature of the loss.

During the game, the Patriots benched CB Jonathan Wilhite, who was having a nightmare of a game against the Saints' receivers. Wilhite, who has started seven games this season, gave way to rookie Darius Butler, who has played a good amount anyway. Butler could end up seeing increased time down the stretch, and there has been some chatter that Shawn Springs (who was inactive against the Saints) could be more of a factor with the Patriots facing some strong receivers upcoming.

The offensive line could be sorted out a little differently. Matt Light returned to the lineup Monday, starting at left tackle, but it begs the question of what to do with impressive rookie Sebastian Vollmer once he's cleared to play following a head injury. Vollmer might end up at right tackle in place of Nick Kaczur, who has been up and down, struggling badly at times in pass protection.

Another interesting spot to consider is running back. Laurence Maroney has played well lately, especially when it comes to putting the ball in the endzone. But what he must not continue to do is put the ball on the ground. Fumbling has been an issue for him lately, replacing tiptoeing as the element of his game that fans prefer to gripe most about. But it's a real concern, and Belichick acknowledged that when opponents see a player fumbling often they tend to go for more strips than usual. With Sammy Morris back in the fold and Kevin Faulk showing well in limited duty, Maroney must stay focused on ball security to ensure he'll get his standard diet of carries.

And yet with all the talk of lineup changes, one team source noted you could see more simplicity in terms of personnel in the final stretch of the season. Because of the problems the Saints posed with their offensive groupings, the Patriots substituted a lot in the game and miscommunication was blamed for a number of the defensive breakdowns. You could see fewer defensive substitutions and more streamlined packages at times with an eye on being more assignment-sound and helping fix what many believe is a broken defense.

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