Running Backs anyone?

         With Sammy Morris out possibly for a month and the AP reporting that Laurence Maroney is not rushing (no pun intended) back onto the playing field from his groin injury, who is left to carry the Patriots running game?  As we saw at the end of Sunday’s game against Dallas, Kevin Faulk will probably be the go-to guy.  After that?  The depth chart has full backs Heath Evans and Kyle Eckel.  Not even the practice squad provides any immediate relief.  Unless Belichick can come up with some kind of converted back it will most likely be Faulk on every down, which may not be the end of the world.  But teams can’t win on a premier passing game alone, can’t they?

      Perhaps it’s a good thing that we play Miami this week with our depleted ranks in the backfield.  One strategy we saw last week was the quick screen pass, a la 2001, to supplement the traditional running game.  When the Cowboys blitzed Brady the Pats countered with the screen pass, but it could also be used when we no longer have our full strength compliment of running backs.  This is the only answer short of a trade, or making someone like Vrabel into a back.  What would Miami do against Adalius Thomas rushing at them with the football?  It’ll be interesting to see how Belichick plays out the hand he has been dealt next week.

            I believe it still is a win-in-the-bag game but the situation at running back makes it slightly more interesting.  NBC’s Chris Collingsworth called this year’s Patriots the best offense he’s ever seen.  Imagine what it will be like once Maroney comes back?  And Sammy Morris to compliment him?  The Colts game is a couple weeks from now and I would like to see Maroney on the field by then so we can keep the opponent’s offense off the field, so I am okay with him not coming back too soon.  But I would like for him to come back and earn his paycheck sooner than later.

             The Pats have basically sewn up the AFC East so this game really doesn’t mean that much but it’ll be a good time for the team and team personnel down in South Beach before the following week against a quality opponent in the Washington Redskins.  The most interesting thing to watch this week is how the Pats cope without Maroney and Morris. Its time for Faulk to shine this week.