FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Tom Brady and Bill Belichick were back in the playoffs, back at Gillette Stadium and looking like they were set to make another Super Bowl run where the coach and the quarterback would outsmart and outperform everyone along the way.

The team of the last decade was about to make its mark in a new one. The calendar might say it’s 2010, but with everything Belichick and Brady have accomplished in the previous 10 years, you believe they were poised to start a new decade of dominance.

But these Patriots proved to be a flawed version of the teams that won three Super Bowls. Brady was clearly not the Brady of old. In the end, even Belichick had no answers after the Ravens charged to a 33-14 victory before a sellout crowd that booed the home team.

“I’d have been booing us, too, the way we played,” Brady said.

To say it’s the end of a dynasty might be premature as along as Brady is in uniform. But there’s no Tedy Bruschi or Rodney Harrison and after 23 consecutive wins at home, including 8-0 during the postseason with Brady at quarterback, the Patriots got whipped in their home park.

“We didn’t come to play. Point blank,” said nose tackle Vince Wilfork. “[We] never had a chance from the first play to the last play. They came in and they wanted it more than us.”

Typically, Belichick was a man of few words after the loss.

“They were certainly a lot better than we were in every phase of the game,” he said. “They were the better team from start to finish. We just didn’t do enough things well to really be competitive in the game.”

Allowing an 83-yard touchdown run by Ray Rice on the first play from scrimmage and Brady being responsible for four turnovers, including three interceptions, was more reminiscent of the Patriots play during the early 1990s. Brady, normally tough and resilient, looked like he wanted no part of the physical Ravens defense.

“Playing the way we played today, we’re not going to beat anybody,” Brady said. “It’s the way the season went. There were some ups and downs. This season we just came up short in the end.”

Brady said the Patriots (10-7) should do plenty of soul-searching during the offseason. The defense, which saw defensive end Richard Seymour traded during the year, has to be improved, while the offense only can hope receiver Wes Welker has a good recovery from left knee surgery. They will watch the Jets play the Chargers next weekend, knowing the AFC East will be a battle next year.

“The mental toughness that we need to have to overcome whatever comes up is something that we all need to improve on next year,” Brady said. “For all the players and coaches, it’s very disappointing to lose like this and not put our best effort out there. It’s going to make for a long offseason and that’s how it should be.”

Brady didn’t want to elaborate on what injuries he might have been playing through. There were reports he had broken ribs. He also was listed with an injury to his shoulder. After losing yesterday, none of it mattered.

“I just think injuries are a bunch of BS,” he said. “I just think when you play, you play, and if you can’t play, you can’t play. But when you’re out there playing, you’ve got to play at the level that the team expects you to play.”

Brady’s season ended last year when he injured his left knee during the opening game of season. Yesterday, it ended with a loss at home in the playoffs. Both were painful.

“I need to have a great offseason and play at my highest level next year,” said the two-time Super Bowl MVP. “Today, none of us played very good.”