01:00 AM EDT on Tuesday, August 31, 2004

BY KEVIN McNAMARA
Journal Sports Writer

FOXBORO -- He hasn't reached the impossible goal of perfection just yet, but Tom Brady certainly looks ready for the start of his fifth NFL season.

As Brady stood in front of his locker at Gillette Stadium yesterday, he sounded a bit like a quarterback who's struggling to bring his passing game up to speed. He spoke of improving the communication and timing of the New England Patriots' offense, the disappointment of losing the last two preseason games, and the urgency of finding improvement before the season opener Sept. 9 against Indianapolis.

What Brady didn't admit is that he was perhaps the Pats' biggest star in last Saturday night's 20-17 road loss to the Carolina Panthers. Brady completed 13 of his first 15 passes in staking the Pats to an early 14-3 lead in a game the reserves ultimately bumbled away.

As usual, Brady sat in the pocket and spread the ball out to a host of wide-open receivers. He connected with four in the first half alone, six to one of training camp's biggest surprises, veteran David Patten. He found tight end Daniel Graham for a 46-yard TD pass and hit impressive rookie Ben Watson for another score. It was a performance most QBs would chalk up as a grand success, but it was one Brady simply said counts as another step toward the start of the regular season.

"We're much further along now than we were three weeks

ago, but we all feel we're not where we need to be. We need some better communication and execution on some things we can control," he said. "If you look back at what you've done and think, 'Where am I at now' and 'Are there things I can do to improve my position?' that's the attitude we need. Every day you have to go out there and try to find your role."

Brady's effort slid in the third quarter. He threw an interception early in the period that Carolina couldn't capitalize on, but bounced back and led the Pats on a drive that ended at the 2-yard line. That's when coach Bill Belichick opted for a 20-yard Adam Vinatieri field goal for a 17-10 lead.

Brady has gone out of his way to say his goal through camp is to be ready for the first snap of the season, unlike last year when his ineffective play was a key reason for the Pats' 2-2 start. What no doubt sticks in his mind the most was a 31-0 disaster in the opener in Buffalo when he threw four of his 12 regular-season interceptions.

"I think we've improved, and that's the goal," Brady said. "You try to improve at a fast rate so you're ready right out of the block. What happens on Sept. 9, that'll prove a lot. I'm feeling like I have a week and a half left. But that's coming fast and I'll use every minute of that to get ready to go."

As usual, it's nearly impossible to decipher just what Belichick thinks about Brady or any other facet of his team's progression. Asked yesterday to review Brady's performance against the Panthers, the coach only offered the standard vanilla response Patriots fans are used to.

"Our passing game was, at times, better," he said. "We threw a couple of interceptions and that's not good. The execution overall was better. Protection, route running, converting some third downs, there definitely was some improvement. We have a ways to go, but at least it was a step in the right direction."

The Patriots have precious little time to take more steps in the right direction. The team practiced yesterday and will be back at work today in preparation for Thursday night's final tuneup of the summer, against Jacksonville. Then it's just a week until the season opener the following Thursday against Indianapolis. Brady says he's not sure just how much he'll play this week against the Jaguars, so he knows the clock is ticking.

"I'm not losing sleep or anything, but you always want it better," he said. "Everyone around here wants perfection. We all realize that takes time, too. The faster we can make corrections, the better it will look like when we go out there and play."