By Phil Shore, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
The weak link gets weaker.
Coming into the season the New England Patriots running backs posed the biggest question on the team, at least for the offense.
A group plagued by injuries, turnovers and inconsistency made the position a revolving door of inadequate performance.
After Week 1, the Patriots finally gave up on Laurence Maroney. The former first-round pick showed flashes of good play, but for the most part he was either putting the ball on the ground or not even making the active roster.
He never ran for 1,000 yards in a season, never played all 16 games, and he fumbled quite a bit in the red zone.
So he was cast off to Denver in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.
Instead of giving the ownership justification for trading away Maroney, the rest of the group—Kevin Faulk, Fred Taylor and BenJarvus Green-Ellis—ran for measly 52 yards on 20 carries. Faulk, was the leading rusher with 22 yards on five carries, yet was put on IR after the game because of a torn ACL.
The Faulk loss will be hard-felt. While the running game has not been a stable form of production for the Pats, Faulk has [...]

By Phil Shore, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
Throughout the New England Patriots’ dynasty that encompassed the first ten years of the new millennium, one thing that was never stable was the running back situation.
The team got production from the position, whether it be Antowain Smith, Corey Dillon, or Kevin Faulk. However it was also the most inconsistent position. There was a rotating door of running backs due to spotty performances and an unbelievable amount of injuries.
Between the uneven play of the running backs and the star-studded quarterback the team has, the Patriots have evolved into a very pass-happy team, but the fans and coaches would like to add a little more balance to the attack.
Coming into the new decade, the team has found no complete answer. Players have shown flashes of brilliance, but then wound up benched because of turnovers or injuries. Who will the Patriots be able to depend on in 2010, an extremely pivotal season for the franchise?
Here is a look at the running backs on the roster.
Laurence Maroney: Maroney is arguably the most perplexing player on the Patriots roster. Drafted number 21 overall in 2006, he was the first running back New England selected in the first round since Robert [...]

By: Phil Shore, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
Last season the two top teams in the AFC East were the division champion New England Patriots and the New York Jets.
In the playoffs the Patriots burned out fast, getting blown apart at home by the Baltimore Ravens. Meanwhile the wild card Jets surprised everyone by making it to the AFC Championship game before bowing out to the Indianapolis Colts.
The two teams seem to continue to be going about their business differently in the offseason.
The Jets, feeling they are on the brink of the Super Bowl have made a splash and added a few talented players to the mix in an effort to push them over the edge.
Meanwhile the Patriots, as per usual, have not gone out and paid big bucks for any free agents and have sat mostly quiet just bringing back their own players that were out of contract.
Two distinctly different styles, but which is the right way to go about business?
The Jets, who also made a big in-season trade acquiring wide receiver Braylon Edwards, brought in two very sexy names in the NFL: cornerback Antonio Cromartie and running back LaDanian Tomlinson.
Cromartie came to the Jets by trade for a conditional third round [...]

By: Phil Shore, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
The Patriots are heading into a crucial offseason. After an embarrassing performance against the Baltimore Ravens in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, it was obvious that changes need to be made to the team.
Still, there are a number of free agents that the Patriots should also bring back.
The Patriots have nine unrestricted free agents and three restricted ones.
Who should be kept on to help get the team to Super Bowl XLV at the new Dallas Cowboys’ Stadium?
Who should be looking for work elsewhere?
Tully Banta-Cain, LB: Unrestricted. Keep him. Banta-Cain was the best pass-rusher the team had, finishing in the top-15 in the NFL in sacks with 9.5. Even if the Patriots get players through trade, the draft, and/or free agency, Banta-Cain has always been an asset on special teams. He was also around for two of the Patriots’ three Super Bowls in the past decade.
Leigh Bodden, CB: Unrestricted. Let him go. The Patriots secondary was bad and they need to completely retool save for Pro Bowl safety Brandon Merriweather. Sure, Bodden lead the team in interceptions with five, but three of those came all in one game against Mark Sanchez.
Derrick Burgess, DE/LB: Unrestricted. [...]

By: Scott Jackson, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
The Patriots got back to their winning ways against the Panthers. The Pats downed the Cats 20-10, snapping a two game cold streak.
Quarterback:
Not a bad week for Tom Brady. His second son was born, and he got a much needed win. His numbers weren’t bad, throwing for 192 yards and a touchdown, while completing just over half his attempts. Not Joe Montana numbers, but not JaMarcus Russell numbers either.
My Grade: C
Runningbacks:
Great game for the corps. Ran wild over the Cats, for 187 total yards. Kevin Faulk scored the game’s tying touchdown, and Laurence Maroney managed to keep hold of the ball all game. Sammy Morris did fumble, but also did a great job run blocking.
My Grade: A
Receivers/Tight Ends:
Wes Welker grabbed ten passes for 105 yards. At this point his name should start popping up in MVP talk, but it won’t. Randy Moss was nearly shut-out, but that was a result more of Carolina’s scheme than a lack of effort on Moss’s part. The tight ends shined in this one. Ben Watson caught three passes, and made an excellent catch for the go-ahead touchdown. My [...]

By: Scott Jackson, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer
What a poor game for the Patriots.  If you look up the definition on blown-out, you’ll probably see Monday’s game as an example.  The team hadn’t played this bad in the bayou since Super Bowl XX, when the Bears downed the Pats 46-10.
Quarterbacks:
Tom Brady struggled mightily in this one.  Terrible Tom threw two interceptions.  The first was an excusable throw while being flushed from the pocket.  The second was a desperation heave with needing points badly.  On the plus side, Brian Hoyer didn’t look too bad.
My grade: D+

Runningbacks:
Sure. Laurence Maroney scored two touchdowns (clinching a victory in fantasy football for fellow columnist Dan Massar).  But he also coughed up the ball again (though in his defense he forced a fumble to take the ball back).  Sammy Morris was a near non-factor in his return.  Kevin Faulk made some plays in the passing game, as usual.
My grade: C-
Receivers/Tight Ends:
The Saints defensive back corp was whittled down for this one because of injuries.  You wouldn’t have known this watching the game, as Randy Moss and Wes Welker were both effectively covered all game.  It’s never good when Sam Aiken is your leading receiver.  The tight ends were [...]