Less than 24 hours after a final Hail Mary attempt came up short at the end of Super Bowl XLVI, the Patriots opened the offseason with a series of goodbyes at Gillette Stadium.

Gathering as a group, they cleaned out their lockers and got a jump on the offseason. Meanwhile, with the season now fully in the rearview mirror, coach Bill Belichick tried to put the 2011 campaign into some sort of perspective. After more than six months, just over 100 practices, four preseason games, 16 regular season games and three postseason games, the Patriots fell just shy of winning it all.

“[I’m] real proud of them. I thought they worked hard all year, they competed well all season,” Belichick said. “We won a lot of games and even the ones we didn’t win, we fought right to the end and played very competitively.

“We did that [Sunday] night, just came up a little bit short,” he added. “I have all the respect in the world for the team and all the players and what they’ve done for over six months. It’s not about one game or one play or anything; it’s the whole body of work. I really, really enjoyed coaching this team and have a lot of respect for them.”

It was a point that was echoed in brief remarks from owner Robert Kraft.

“I must tell you that the strength of spirit that I saw with this team is unlike any other team I’ve seen in my 18 years in the NFL,” said the owner. “We’re all disappointed in what happened.

“The beauty of the NFL and the reason, I can say this as Chair of the Broadcast Committee, the reason that the networks pay us the large fees that they do is that no one knows what is going to happen in a game -- head coach, quarterback, owner, D-linemen -- no one knows. It’s two or three plays that make the difference; that makes the game so exciting. I’m very proud of this team and what they accomplished this year.”

Belichick confirmed something on Monday that many people had already presumed -- Josh McDaniels would take over for outgoing offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien, who becomes the new head coach at Penn State. It’ll be the second go-round in New England as OC for McDaniels, who held the job from from 2006 through 2008.

The Patriots face an interesting offseason. They have to make decisions on 17 unrestricted free agents, including Wes Welker, Deion Branch, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Andre Carter and Matt Slater. Welker and Branch have expressed interest in returning, and Welker and Green-Ellis are likely the top priorities when it comes to re-signing their own players. (Welker could receive the franchise tag if the two sides cannot agree on a deal.)

Regardless of what happens in free agency, the Patriots could utilize one of their first four picks (they have four in the first two rounds) on a wide receiver in an attempt to try and get young at the position. (Welker is 30 and Branch is 32.) There’s also the possibility they go after a defensive back, as the secondary had problems because of injury and personnel combinations all season.

It’s also important to note that veteran Kevin Faulk may have played his last game with the Patriots, and right guard Brian Waters is another player who is reportedly contemplating retirement, telling the Boston Globe in the wake of the Super Bowl loss that he’s going to take two to three weeks to decide his future. Belichick said that he doesn’t recommend any players make those decisions in the heat of the moment, especially in the wake of such a difficult defeat.

“I think the day after the game or an hour or two after the game is not the time to make any long-term decisions,” he said. “I think it’s probably best that all of us -- young players, old players, young coaches, old coaches -- that we all take a little time to just catch our breath, collect our thoughts and try not to make any life-changing decisions coming off -- either way; try to make those big decisions right on the tail end of big emotions in a game like that.”

The next big date on the NFL calendar the Patriots are focused on? The annual NFL scouting combine, scheduled to take place in Indianapolis from Feb. 22-28. After that, free agency begins March 13. While the Patriots have been doing their due diligence when it comes to college scouting, 30 of the other teams have already gotten a jump on New England when it comes to offseason logistical matters, something the Patriots’ front office must start on immediately.

“The combine is in two and a half weeks,” Belichick said. “I’m sure there will be [a] lot of things on the agenda between now and then, so we’ll just take them as they come. For right now, we’re just kind of collecting our thoughts and we’ll figure it out in due course.”

Regardless of what happens this offseason, there’s certainly a feeling that the Patriots will be able to remain among the NFL’s elite. They have a talented young core of players on both offense and defense, and are well positioned when it comes to cap space if they are inclined to take a run at a free agent when that process begins next month. (Brandon Lloyd?) To that end, Bovada.lv released their odds for winning Super Bowl XLVII, set for New Orleans, and they have New England as second on the list at 7/1, trailing only Green Bay, which sits at 6/1. New Orleans is third at 8/1,

“I hope we do get back here again. I’d rather keep coming to this game and lose than not get here,” said quarterback Tom Brady after the game. “I hope another opportunity comes.”