By PFW staff
Jan. 14, 2008

RB Laurence Maroney had reason to doubt his role with the Patriots. Entering Week 15’s matchup with the Jets, he had been toiling in anonymity on an offense teeming with superstars. Since returning to the lineup in Week Seven from a three-game hiatus with a groin injury, Maroney was averaging just 10.2 carries and 39.6 yards. For a player who was believed to be the featured running back of the future after being selected in the first round of the 2006 draft, his impact was conspicuously muted.

The difference since that Jets game has been staggering. He has now cracked the 100-yard barrier in three of the last four games, and was pivotal in the Pats’ divisional-round triumph over the Jaguars, gashing the Jags for 122 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. He also added 40 yards on a pair of receptions, after hauling down just four passes in the regular season.

The PFW spin

Maroney’s talent has never been questioned. His toughness was. In the locker room after the Pats’ 48-27 victory over the Cowboys — a game in which Maroney rode the pine with his groin problem — coach Bill Belichick reportedly admonished certain players for failing to play through pain, signaling out “No. 39” in particular. Not wanting to reward slackers, the Pats became more reliant on the pass, while No. 2 RB Kevin Faulk cut into Maroney’s touches.

Determining exactly how much of Maroney’s recent workload spike is a result of regaining Belichick’s respect is an exercise in speculation, but it’s fair to assume that it has played at least some part. Late-season weather that typically affects the passing game is another factor, as well as the Jets’ and Dolphins’ (whom Maroney gashed for 156 yards in Week 16) woeful run defenses. But the Jaguars offered far more resistance. With a massive front four protecting one of the league’s more athletic LB corps, the Jags finished 11th in run defense.

Maroney certainly isn’t in the same class as former University of Minnesota teammate and current Cowboy Marion Barber when it comes to running style, but he has begun carrying the ball with noticeably more authority. The return of ORG Steve Neal and ORT Nick Kaczur to the lineup after both starters sat out Week 17 with injury also can’t be overlooked in Maroney’s playoff outburst.

Faulk remains the superior receiver and pass protector, so don’t expect Maroney to play as large of a role in his team’s offense as Ryan Grant will with the Packers, but it’s likely to see Maroney claim around 20 carries per game going forward.

His emergence also helps quell long-term concerns about the position. In the middle stages of the season, there were murmurs out of Foxborough that the Pats would target a running back in the early rounds of April’s draft. Those talks have quieted noticeably since.