Polian-Era Colts Draft History: First Round Picks
Stampede Blue — ... Draft: From the beginning I expected Joseph Addai to be the pick.  Laurence Maroney probably would have been the pick if he was left, but thankfully the Patriots took Maroney and he ended up being a major bust.  Addai was taken at 29th in the running back-loaded draft where he was the 4th running back taken ( ...

Around The AFC East: New England Patriots
The Phinsider — ... Another strategy is to create competition along with mentorship.  Longtime Jaguar RB Fred Taylor seems to be made for both roles, specifically for Laurence Maroney.  Maroney's been plagued with injury and confidence problems, something Taylor suffered from during his "Fragile Freddy" days.  His acquisition will give Maroney some valuable mentoring while keeping the fire lit in the competition arena.  Freddy is the acquisition I'm most excited about simply because he may provide some much needed mentoring for Laurence Maroney.  ...

Top 5 New England Patriots Offseason moves
Pats Pulpit — ... Yes, my number one pick is running back Fred Taylor.  Whether Fred knows it or not, he's the architect of our backfield.  Why?  He's got incredible downhill, explosive speed and is big enough to shed tacklers.  Most importantly, his veteran presence will be huge for the running backs, especially Laurence Maroney.  Maroney needs a mentor and Taylor is the ideal fit.  Branded "Fragile Freddy" in his early years, Taylor went through the same issues as Maroney is now experiencing: injuries and confidence problems. ...

Around the AFC East: Running Back Rankings
Pats Pulpit — ... - Yeah, I'm being a homer, but so what?  I am absolutely stoked about what the Patriots backfield is capable of accomplishing this year.  Laurence Maroney, our most likely starter, has a MAJOR chip on his shoulder after being IR'd after game 5 in 2008.  Even worse, he was labeled "fragile" and had to keep his mouth shut about his injury.  I'm looking for a 1,000 yard season from Maroney and for him to finally shutup all the haters.  ...

Around The AFC East: Ranking the running back stables
The Phinsider — ... on the ground is their offensive line.  Alan Faneca and Nick Mangold are as good as any guard/center combo in the league.  And I think that a big part of New York's success on the ground last year was because of those big guys up front - as well as the threat of Brett Favre and the deep ball.  When defenses are preparing more for the passing attack, it's easier to run successfully.  It's that simple. 4. New England Patriots - Laurence Maroney, Fred Taylor, Kevin Faulk, Sammy ...

Around the AFC East: Ranking the division's running backs
Buffalo Rumblings — ... The Pats have to finish last at something, right?  I'll be the first to admit that the Patriots' spread offense makes having an overly talented stable of running backs a lower priority.  But that Pats do have talent here.  They go four deep with Laurence Maroney, ...

Around the AFC East, Week 6: Backfield Rankings
Gang Green Nation — ... might be the game's best receiving threat out of the backfield. I don't love their runners, though. Laurence Maroney showed promise during his rookie season of 2006 but faded down the stretch and has not been heard from since. That is not really his fault. The 2007 Pats were very pass oriented, and Maroney was hurt for much of 2008. While I still think he can bounce back to have a good career, I thought he was a tad overrated as a rookie. Nice player, but not a difference-maker like a Maurice Jones-Drew, ...

Ten Patriots for 2009: No. 9, RB Laurence Maroney
Pats Pulpit — ... Let's face it.  Laurence Maroney has gotten a bad rap during his career at New England.  I would say some of it is deserved.  I have complained often that Maroney "bounces" off of the line when he should be more decisive, similar to ...

Patriots 2009: What would Norm and Cliff say?
Pats Pulpit — ... defense. Norm: Don't forget Randy Moss and Wes Welker have two years in the system.  And we just picked up Joey Galloway and Greg Lewis, too. Cliff: That there...ahhh...Welkah.  Did you see that vicious hit by that Steeler Ryan Clahk?  I mean, little Wes almost became paht of the terf!!  He got up, though.  He's one tough... Norm: Easy.  This is a family show.  Let's not forget Laurence Maroney.  Fred Taylor is going to get him ...

Playoffs?!? You Want To Talk About Playoffs?!? - Part One: AFC
Hogs Haven — ... are basically unstoppable and their stable of running backs might be the envy of the league (seriously, read this list: Laurence Maroney, ...

Cowboys' Three-Headed RB Monster: Best In The Business?
Blogging The Boys — ... quick to adorn the Cowboys three-headed monster the best in the business. All biases aside, how does the Cowboys backfield stack up against the rest of the league? Sure, there are quite a few remarkable one-two punches, but can anybody go three deep as well as the ‘Boys can? Let's take a look at some of the more potent projected backfields around the league.  New England Patriots - Fred Taylor, Sammy Morris, Laurence Maroney - It is my guess that Kevin Faulk will be the ...

New England Patriots: Questions for 2009, Part I
Pats Pulpit — ... getting into the backfield far too often.  We could call this an offensive line breakdown, but I believe McD should've adjusted and instructed Brady to checkdown more, go for the options and slants.  Instead, he stuck with the game plan.  Maybe Belichick's stats guru, Ernie Adams, instructed him to do so.  Who knows.  On the cheering side, he took the 2008 team, racked with injury after injury, and made a contender out of it.  We lot Tom Brady, Laurence Maroney for roughly 12 games, and LaMont Jordan for a ...

Patriots Links 7/22/09 - Hall of Famer Andre Tippett to Speak at The Hall
Pats Pulpit — ... Well, the Patriots figure to nurse Brady into playing shape this summer, but Bill Belichick has bigger concerns. Can Laurence Maroney prove he's durable enough to hold off ex-Jaguar ...

New England Patriots Training Camp: 5 things to watch for
Pats Pulpit — ... .  Well, I learned something while interacting with rival AFC East fans: I think of Patriots running backs as a whole, not as individuals.  It's "backfield by committee".  Some teams may have great success with a workhorse running back, but I think the Patriots have always done well with a few general purpose backs like Laurence Maroney, ...

New England Patriots Training Camp - second day musings
Pats Pulpit — ... and working to improve them. Rookie receiver Julian Edelman falls into that category. After struggling in the morning practice catching punts, Edelman was the first player spotted on the field today, and was working one-on-one with special teams coach Scott O’Brien. A JUGS machine fired punts in his direction. During full-team work, Edelman was better catching punts, and he also delivered one of the catches of the day at receiver. 2) Laurence Maroney/Fred Taylor combination. As players arrived on the ...

New England Patriots Training Camp, Day 4 - MaPatsFan makes the trek
Pats Pulpit — ... Laurence Maroney - Maroney not only looks strong, but fast.  He made a few "Wes Welker" cuts that had linebackers scratching their helmets.  I'm really happy for him and hope this is a sign of good things to come. ...

New England Patriots Links 8/05/09 - Chris Baker, Tight Ends are Undersold Story of Camp
Pats Pulpit — ... right side, that are then athletic enough and can handle some of the pass rushers that are over there on the left side." Christopher Price recaps his favorite drill to watch, the one-on-ones. There were more of my favorite drills — the one-on-ones — relatively early in the practice session. Some of the highlights from that included Ray Ventrone delivering a great hit on Terrence Wheatley, which caused a fumble; Laurence Maroney absolutely blowing past Jerod Mayo with ease; ...

The Future of the Running Game
The Mile High Report — ... Let's look at the Patriots first. We should note that the 2008 New England Patriots had less issues with injuries at running back than the Broncos did, but they saw plenty of injuries as well. Laurence Maroney suffered a shoulder injury that allowed him to play only three games last year. ...

New England Patriots PreSeason Watch - Running Backs
Pats Pulpit — ... NUMBER NAME POSITION HEIGHT WEIGHT DOB YEAR LAST YEAR 39 Laurence Maroney RB 5-11 220 2/5/1985 4 ...

Running through the roster: thoughts on Mike Reiss's choices for the New England Patriots 53
Pats Pulpit — ... , Laurence Maroney, and BenJarvus Green-Ellis.  There goes that theory.  Anyway, enough fussing over the order of positional listing. ...

New England Patriots Links 8/24/09 - Kaczur Close To Extension, Wilfork Waiting
Pats Pulpit — ... work ethic is "like Tiger Woods." Ron Borges emerges from his cave to inform us that Brady hasn't looked right all summer, has psychological issues related to his knee, and avoided the media post-game because of it.  Good thing Dr. Borges is on call. NATIONAL NEWS Tim Graham (ESPN) Three and Out: Patriots.  Tom Brady's performance should be easing Patriot Nation's anxiety; Don't count Laurence Maroney out; Tedy Bruschi could have trouble making the team. ...

New England Patriots Links 8/27/09 - James Sanders Leads the Secondary
Pats Pulpit — ... some key NFL dates - including roster cut downs, and notes which players were absent from practice yesterday. Jeff Howe says WR Robert Ortiz was excited to get a second opportunity with the Patriots. Christopher Price offers some quotes of note from the locker room after practice Wednesday. Joe Zarbano captures some player soundbites as Adalius Thomas, Leigh Bodden, James Sanders, and Laurence Maroney all spoke to the media following yesterday's ...

Chat with Pats Pulpit for Redskins vs Patriots Game
Hogs Haven — ... Hogs Haven: What is the RB situation shaping to look like? It's surprising to see Laurence Maroney is 4th on the depth chart behind ...

Postgame Analysis: New England Patriots defeat Washington Redskins, 27-24
Pats Pulpit — ... in close.  It also gave Laurence Maroney a chance to rack up 3 for 30 yards receiving without Faulk to take charge.  And with Shawn Springs not present, ...

New England Patriots PreSeason Watch - Special Teams
Pats Pulpit — ... guys were neck and neck all through training camp.  It was a gentleman's battle for consistency, and both were consistent.  We kept the younger (and cheaper) of the two.  If Rob Ninkovich (LB) makes it on the roster, he's the backup here now that Russ Hochstein is suiting up for Denver. The Returner(s): Matthew Slater, Wes Welker, Kevin Faulk, Terrence Wheatley, Laurence Maroney, Darius Butler, Patrick Chung ...

Postgame Analysis: New England Patriots defeat New York Giants, 38-27
Pats Pulpit — ... BenJarvus Green-Ellis - Law Firm rocked, it's as simple as that.  In my opinion, he showed better downfield vision than Laurence Maroney.  One of the commentators made the statement that BJGE waits for plays to develop and follows his guards for protection.  Very observant and exactly why he did so well.  He also doesn't stop pumping those legs, getting a few extra yards out of every play.  It also doesn't hurt that Belichick followed him to the bench after one touchdown, complimenting him the whole way.  Can you spell ...

New England Patriots 53 man roster - some thoughts
Pats Pulpit — ... We stay with 2 QB's, LB is a bit weak, TE will be a position to watch, OL is stacked on the interior...let's break it down position by position (props to NESilver for his comment in this thread) Offense: 25   QB: Tom Brady, Brian Hoyer (2) - Odd we keep only 2, but that could change when the season starts. RB: Laurence Maroney, Fred Taylor, Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk, BenJarvus Green-Ellis (5) - Solid group. ...

Patriots Week: Talking running backs with Pats Pulpit
Buffalo Rumblings — ... .  Is Laurence Maroney set to turn the corner, or will the Pats once again rely on their depth at the position to keep the offense balanced? ...

Bills Fantasy Friday: Week 1 Start 'Em/Sit 'Em
Buffalo Rumblings — ... youthful offensive line in front of him, but he is, at worst, a good flex pick.  He should get at least 15-20 carries, and with the way Edwards has been playing another 4-6 receptions, so the touches will be there.  In a PPR league, Jackson is much more desirable.  Outside of shallow leagues, where there are likely better options available, Jackson is a nice RB2 this week. Verdict: Start 'Em Fred Taylor, Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk, Laurence Maroney, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Corey Dillon, Antowain ...

A look back: New England Patriots vs. Buffalo Bills, Part 2
Pats Pulpit — ... in when Vince Wilfork hit J.P. Losman's knee, but Buffalo simply couldn't overcome Brady's four touchdown passes and Sammy Morris's rushing TD.  The Patriots were on a role and this game would be a harbinger of things to come...again. Nov 18, 2007 - NE 56 @ BUF 10 The score says it all.  It was nuts.  Brady was unconscious with 31/39, 373 yards and 5 touchdown passes.  Kyle Eckel and Laurence Maroney each had a rushing TD.  To add to the embarrassment, ...

Post Game Analysis: New England Patriots defeat Buffalo Bills, 25-24
Pats Pulpit — ... Running Backs - We struggled to pick up yardage, but the Bills were doing a good job of clogging up the gaps.  This was not on Laurence Maroney or ...

Denver Broncos Season Storyline - Week 2 Vs Cleveland
The Mile High Report — ... is charged with not only using its loads of talent to score quickly, but is also charged with keeping a weak defense off the field.  But that is an either/or proposition, and contradictions will always come back to bite you.  All units require the same amount of attention, or the whole thing becomes so unbalanced that it tips over.  It just needs the right kind of push... Quick Notes: (1-0) New England @ Home:   Laurence Maroney is once again no lock to be the go-to guy.  Fred ...

The War of Words: New England Patriots prepare for New York Jets matchup
Pats Pulpit — ... I love the trash talking, I really do.  The war of words is both entertaining and occasionally, gives us something to write about.  I REALLY like it when guys like Laurence Maroney get into the act.  Laurence rarely says "Boo!" or, better yet, barely says "B...".  You get the picture.  #39 prefers to do his talking on the field.  Granted, we've been waiting for him to talk A LOT, but it's coming.  Trust me. ...

New England Patriots vs. New York Jets: keys to winning
Pats Pulpit — ... I've said protection is the name of the game.  That's where smashmouth comes in.  Laurence Maroney has already stated he plans on, "...hitting the linebackers in the mouth and being physical".  I believe it.  That goes for the TE's, too.  I think they'll be tasked with protecting Wonder Boy more than catching passes. ...

New York Jets Run Defense vs. New England Patriots Run Offense
Gang Green Nation — ... Even if they keep Jenkins off the field, I expect New England to use their running backs more in the passing game than to try and establish the run. Neither Laurence Maroney nor ...

Game Recap: Jets defeat Patriots, 16-9
Pats Pulpit — ... was rushed repeatedly.  There were times in the first half when Brady's pass protection looked very good, with Laurence Maroney providing a lot of extra protection.  That all ended in the second half.  The Jets' defense started getting to him.  No sacks, but a lot of hurries.  And it showed.  Brady was overthrowing a lot of balls.  But the reception woes weren't necessarily all on Brady; some of the misses were blown routes and/or a lack of communication between Brady and his receivers. ...

Five Questions For Three Patriots Blogger
Sports Page Atlanta — ... DtF: I've had the chance to watch your running game quite a bit over the last couple of years, and I have to ask....is Laurence Maroney ever going to get it going? Do you guys need a true feature back, or does the committee approach work well? ...

Keys to Winning: Falcons @ Patriots
Pats Pulpit — ... .  With Welker questionable on the injury report, those duties should fall to Faulk and, quite possibly, Welker Junior Julian Edelman.  I would also think pounding the rock would to unbalance the defense would be the thing to do.  Laurence Maroney needs to earn his paycheck. ...

Game Recap: New England Patriots defeat Atlanta Falcons, 26-10
Pats Pulpit — ... Laurence Maroney - Primary back is his job to lose and he's losing it.  Fred Taylor schooled the younger back on how to do it.  El Mo had 4 touches for 17 yards.  That shows a lack of confidence in his abilities. ...

Open Game Thread: Ravens @ Patriots
Pats Pulpit — ... ...IN!  We'll need it 'cause Baltimore is rolling into town with their #1 rushing D.  Laurence Maroney has already said he'll need some Tylenol, so he expects to pound it.  ...

Post Game Recap: New England Patriots defeat Baltimore Ravens, 27-21
Pats Pulpit — ... Laurence Maroney - Even in kickoff return duties, El Mo continues to struggle, dancing and bouncing off of blockers in front of him.  7 for 6 yards with a long of 5 is not good, no sir.  It's especially not good when "old man" ...

The impact of sidelining "Fast Freddy", Patriots RB Fred Taylor out for ankle surgery
Pats Pulpit — ... Back to the Idea of Fred (SMP, I need a special Fred font).  Because we're a backfield by committee, we keep many different backs with varied skill sets.  Laurence Maroney and BenJarvus Green-Ellis would be our general purpose backs.  ...

Does Tom Brady have the right targets?
Pats Pulpit — ... Another factor in the offense?  The running game was going gangbusters.  Everything was firing on all cylinders and then...BOOM!  Our leading rusher, Fast Freddy Taylor, blows an ankle.  Back to the Dancing El Mo, Laurence Maroney.  At least we have ...

Tennessee Titans vs. New England Patriots Preview
Music City Miracles — ... and Laurence Maroney with just their front four leaving the back seven to try and figure out how to stop an opposing QB from throwing for 300 yards.  *side note- The only quarterback not to throw for 300+ against the Titans this season was ...

Game Recap: New England Patriots defeat Tennessee Titans, 59-0
Pats Pulpit — ... as a classless organization for "running up the score", you should come up with another hobby because this just ain't cutting it; you know jack about football.  Other than having Laurence Maroney or BenJarvus Green-Ellis tackle ...

Enemy Flashback Video & Conversation with Pats blogs!
Buc 'Em — ... the third down back, Laurence Maroney the change of pace back and BenJarvus Green-Ellis the insurance policy. Now it seems like Maroney is going to be the guy, with Green-Ellis spelling him, and Faulk remaining the 3rd down back. The Patriots also do a lot of short passes to receivers like ...

New England Patriots Links 10/23/09 - New England Meets Jolly Old England
Pats Pulpit — ... Christopher Price offers his Five Things to watch for Sunday afternoon, including whether Laurence Maroney can repeat his solid rushing performance from last week. Everyone’s favorite comedian (each Maroney press gathering should come ready made with one of these), the running back snapped out of a year-long malaise last week against the Titans, rushing for 123 yards in the win. More important than the yards was how he got them: Instead of juking and dancing, he waited for the holes on the ...

Post Game Thread: New England Patriots defeat Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 35-7
Pats Pulpit — ... need to watch the holding, and I'm still not convinced Laurence Maroney is past the "Dancing El Mo".  On the positive side, the defensive backfield is much improved, IMO.  ...

Quick Recap: Patriots defeat Buccaneers, 35-7
Pats Pulpit — ... didn't seem to impact the ground game today.  Laurence Maroney is still bouncing, but he did have some decent runs in key situations.  A TD to his name doesn't hurt, either. ...

Should Edgerrin James wear a Patriots uniform?
Pats Pulpit — ... recently had ankle surgery and best guesses have him returning by the end of the season, if at all.  That leaves Laurence Maroney, ...

FANTASY WEEKEND REPORT by Craig T
Buc 'Em — ... in football.   Sleeper: Jamaal Charles @ JAX. Did you see what Johnson and Titans did to this run defense last week? Charles will get majority of carries and should have a good chance to score.   RBs TO SIT   1. LeSean McCoy vs DAL. Westbrook back and Cowboys have been strong against the run.  2. Laurence Maroney vs MIA. Sammy Morris' return clouds backfield ...

Week 9: Patriots 27 Dolphins 17, Postgame/Late Games Thread
Pats Pulpit — ... , for their part, unveiled a recommitted Laurence Maroney who ran with a will and a punishing style that we've been longing to see.  The line was opening holes and LOMO was finding them. Twice in the fourth quarter we started inside our 15.  On the first series, Maroney and BJGE hammered us out to the 48 before we lost momentum. ...

New England Patriots Links 11/09/09 - Patriots 27, Dolphins 17, Porter 00
Pats Pulpit — ... Monique Walker focuses on the play of Adalius Thomas, who was credited for 2 tackles and a batted down pass. Dan Duggan notes the stellar play of Stephen Gostkowski.  His kicks made all the difference yesterday. Kirk Minihane offers his deep thoughts about this playoffs-bound Patriots team. Boston Herald Patriots Notebook: Vince Wilfork played DE for the first time since High School; Laurence Maroney ran for 20 rushes, 82 yards and 1 TD; Dan Koppen ...

Beating the Patriots just got a little harder
Stampede Blue — ... RB Sammy Morris - Morris adds depth and can be a better fit when Laurence Maroney is having trouble.  He also has good hands and can serve as a checkdown option when needed. ...

New England Patriots Links 11/14/09 - Third Down Conversion Edition
Pats Pulpit — ... has been playing the role of Peyton Manning for the scout team; Laurence Maroney is hoping to get it done against the Colts; Patriots simulated loud crowd noise at practice by pumping in rap music really loud, turning down ...

Game Preview: Patriots @ Colts
Pats Pulpit — ... aren't roaming the field at will. Benjamin Watson - Watson is very well known to the Colts, but the Patriots have been using him sparingly, almost as a sneak attack.  Defenses seem to forget about him and pretty soon, they get burned.  Indy knows enough to blanket Welker and Moss, but they'll simply run out of personnel when we spread the field.  Maybe not as prolific as Clark, Watson can be just as dangerous. Ground game - We need Laurence Maroney, Sammy Morris, and Kevin Faulk to step up ...

Recap Week Ten: Colts 35 - Patriots 34
Stampede Blue — ... down Randy Moss in the endzone, and Bethea read his eyes all the way for an INT. The Colts did not capitalize on the Brady mistake because of a costly Manning INT on the following drive, which looked like a wounded duck when it left Peyton's hand bound for the eventual arms pf the Patriots' Lee Bodden. But, despite the setback, the Colts were undeterred by the Patriots offense, which drove the field again only to turn the football back over to the Colts again on a goal line fumble by Laurence Maroney. However, even with another gift from the Pats, the ...

Game Recap: Colts defeat Patriots, 35-34
Pats Pulpit — ... To correct a misconception, the Laurence Maroney fumble would not have been the difference maker in the game.  Horrid to see, but Indy did nothing with that gift, punted away to Welker for a 69 yard return, and a 5 yard TD pass to Moss followed.  The most a LoMo TD could've accomplished was to keep 2 minutes on the clock. ...

Series History: Patriots vs. Jets
Pats Pulpit — ... games since the beginning of the 2001 season, compiling the best intra-division record of any team in the NFL over the last eight seasons. Since the beginning of the 2003 season, the Patriots are 20-1 (.952) in games following a regular-season loss, including a 2-0 record in such games this season. Over the last five-plus seasons (2003-09), the Patriots have only lost back-to-back games on one occasion (Nov.5 and Nov. 12, 2006). May all of the holes appear this big to Laurence Maroney on Sunday. STRONG IN THE SECOND HALF ...

Any Given Sunday, Week 11 NFL Preview
Niners Nation — ... - Darrell Revis matchup, I think a healthy Brady and the return of Welker will make a bigger difference in this game. Also, look for Laurence Maroney to continue to have an impact in the red zone, he has scored a touchdown in each of the last four games. ...

New York Jets Run Defense vs. New England Patriots Run Offense
Gang Green Nation — ... , is nursing an ankle injury. Laurence Maroney has 94 carries and 378 yards for a pedestrian 4.0 average. He and ...

Game Preview: Jets @ Patriots
Pats Pulpit — ... and possible Laurence Maroney for the season.  Not good.  Jenkins, like Wilfork, swallows up offensive linemen and is a big reason why the Jets defense is rated ...

Pats v. Jets: some unconnected thoughts.
Pats Pulpit — ... Laurence Maroney was fair, and aggressive, but still isn't seeing the cut-back.  Perhaps the only virtue of watching the game with a nosebleed and vertigo is the coach's-camera view it affords.  He's never going to have big-time vision and we're all just going to have to get used to it.  I wish they'd get him the ball in screens/bubbles/swing-passes more often because he'd be very dangerous in that role. ...

Shallow Thoughts & Nearsighted Observations
The Mile High Report — ... m.  Laurence Maroney is doing a decent job of re-establishing his reputation as a solid RB.  He has had the knock of not being particularly tough, kind of like Addai, but Maroney has been picking up a lot of tough yards lately.  Take away the goal-line fumble against he ...

NFL Network's RedZone Colts stat of the week: Week Twelve
Stampede Blue — ... quarter: 2.6 Second quarter: 3.8 Third quarter: 4.0 Fourth quarter: 4.1 The Colts running game is by no means a strength, and if there is a weakness for this team it's running the ball. However, what the numbers, and the results, are showing is that the Colts know how to run effectively in the fourth quarter where it is essential to run if you want to ice a game. Compare Addai's quarter-by-quarter breakdown with, say, the Patriots' Laurence Maroney: First quarter: 5.0 Second quarter: 3.5 ...

New England Patriots @ New Orleans Saints: Chat with Another Enemy
Canal Street Chronicles — ... PD: Well, as mentioned above, this has been something of a weak area for the Patriots. Laurence Maroney has been a target of Patriots fans because of his inconsistent play. A former first round draft pick, he has been mostly disappointing thus far, though he has shown even flashes of ability to keep himself on the field. Down the stretch in 2007, he was terrific. He's had a couple of good game thus far this season. But he also got tackled for losses more than he should, and has a tendency to "dance" before hitting the ...

New Orleans Saints' Defensive and Special Teams Player Grades vs. Patriots
Canal Street Chronicles — ... : B+ (2.88) Early in the game, Laurence Maroney ripped off a 22 yard run, and Will Smith had a clear shot at him around the line of scrimmage. Sometimes I feel like he's focused on improving his sack total and his run defense has suffered from it. That said, he did a good job of staying in Brady's face despite double teams for a good portion of the game. He finished with 4 tackles, hit Brady 3 times, and ended with 1.5 sacks. He was the beneficiary of a stat padding sack at the end of the game, and that sack gave him 10 for the season. It's been a while ...

When did we forget Thanksgiving?
Pats Pulpit — ... 7. Laurence Maroney is running like a man on a mission.  What that means is the running game and hence the play action can work.  Sure he had some drops, but that's curable and indicative of a back that is trying hard - see Peterson, Adrian.  Lo Mo always has the potential for a big play and he's already setting career highs with five games to go.  ...

Keys to winning: Patriots @ Dolphins
Pats Pulpit — ... Pound that rock.  Laurence Maroney is playing like a man possessed, possessed to prove himself to his boss.  Well, let him.  By the way, where's Freddy?  Get him back there. ...

Matching up: Patriots @ Dolphins
Pats Pulpit — ... Defensively, both teams struggle but Miami's 29 rating in Rushing Defense has me believing Belichick could stress the run more than in previous games.  I wouldn't be surprised to see Laurence Maroney with quite a few touches.  The difference in ranking isn't quite as obvious in the passing game, but it's still there.  Look for ...

Game Recap: Dolphins defeat Patriots, 22-21
Pats Pulpit — ... who encounters, guess what, a stacked Miami line. Why Brady didn't hand it off to Laurence Maroney, who was right behind Morris, is beyond. He had more room and could've a) built up a bigger head of steam or b) had a chance to choose another hole. And how about being creative? Maybe fake handoffs to the backs and slip it to Wes on a reverse? Welker can dodge cruise missiles never mind defensive backs. ...

Focus on Carolina: Panthers @ Patriots
Pats Pulpit — ... Bill, if you're listening, DO NOT ABANDON THE RUN GAME.  Pound the rock and pound it hard.  Send Laurence Maroney in as point and keep the ball on the ground.  Carolina has a very good passing D and it simply doesn't make sense to try and exploit something that may give us trouble, especially when it hasn't been one of our strong suits of late. ...