Wilfork has right stuff to stop the run

FOXBOROUGH -- Nose tackle Vince Wilfork said there is one statistic he uses to gauge his performance: rushing yards allowed.

Forget about his tackles (20) and sacks (1). Wilfork, in his third season, takes the most pride in helping shut down running backs.

``Not allowing a 100-yard rusher, that's a pretty good stat I can live with," he said.

The 6-foot-2-inch, 325-pound Wilfork has done his part to help a run defense that has allowed just one 100-yard rusher (Denver's Tatum Bell), and ranks eighth in the NFL in yards allowed per game (85.6). Should the Patriots maintain that pace, it would eclipse the team's best mark since Bill Belichick was hired as coach in 2000.

Run defense has been the foundation of the team's defensive success in Belichick's tenure. Consider that in the Super Bowl seasons of 2003 and '04, the team held opponents to 89.6 and 98.3 rushing yards, respectively. Conversely, when the team struggled through the 2002 season, opponents averaged 137.4 rushing yards per game.

Mostly lining up over the center, Wilfork often faces quick-hitting, double-team blocks from guards. Yet he has still helped control the heart of the line of scrimmage in most cases, as evidenced by the Patriots stuffing fourth-and-1 running plays in each of their first two games.

Belichick noted that Wilfork is ``having a good year" and ``has really gotten to the point where he's starting to recognize things almost before they happen."

Inside linebacker Tedy Bruschi, who is often the beneficiary of Wilfork's unsung work up front, has enjoyed watching Wilfork evolve since joining the team as a first-round pick in 2004.

``If you want to talk about the development of a player, that guy has come a long way," Bruschi said. ``Then you put him next to [Richard] Seymour and [Ty] Warren, I have a lot of confidence when I see those three guys in a three-point stance, and know the odds are in our favor that we'll be successful."

While Wilfork has played at a high level through five games, he faces a significant challenge to reach elite status among AFC nose tackles, as San Diego's Jamal Williams and Pittsburgh's Casey Hampton earned Pro Bowl berths last year. Asked how he compares with those players, Wilfork noted that each nose tackle is asked to carry out different responsibilities.

``They're both in a 3-4 but the defense is played differently," Wilfork said. ``Casey Hampton is in a zone pressure defense with a lot of stunting. Jamal Williams is more of a one-technique, rushing up the field. I'm not taking anything away from them, because they're good in their systems.

``Here in New England, we two-gap. To play here, you have to be a man."

This weekend will mark the one-year anniversary of Bruschi officially announcing he was returning to football after his stroke.

Yesterday, Bruschi reflected about his comeback.

``I haven't had to address it in a long time and that's a good sign," he said. ``Coming back, at first, that's all I talked about for weeks. It wasn't even about football. It wasn't about how I played. It was about how I felt.

``There were a lot of people out there who criticized me for trying to get my life back, and to still be in it a year later, it's something I'm proud of. It's not to prove people wrong, but I'm back to where I was, and feel good about it."

The 33-year-old Bruschi is coming off a team-high, 10-tackle effort in Sunday's win over the Dolphins, in which he also recovered a fumble. Bruschi, who is one of the team's seven captains, said the Patriots are soaring into their bye weekend.

``We're very encouraged with where we are as a team and how we feel in this locker room," Bruschi said. ``The chance we've given ourselves is a good one, and one we want to take advantage of."

Belichick said the last two days were designed to focus on specific areas the team would like to improve, and one focus has been kickoff returns. The Patriots rank 18th in yards per kickoff return (22.2). ``We want our upfront line players to block better, our wedge players to be more aggressive, and the runners to run harder," said linebacker Don Davis, who plays on the front line . . . Linebacker Mike Vrabel said the Patriots' strength has been their ability to win games despite not playing to their best. ``Knowing how to win," he said, ``has been a key to our [4-1] start." . . . Belichick said the signing of punter Danny Baugher to the practice squad was to add depth at a position in which the Patriots only had one player (Josh Miller) suited up at training camp. Miller enters the bye week ranked eighth in the NFL in net punting (39.4) and 26th in average distance (43.4) . . . Kicker Stephen Gostkowski's seven touchbacks rank third in the NFL, behind Cleveland's Phil Dawson (9) and St. Louis's Jeff Wilkins (8). Gostkowski's strong kickoffs have helped the Patriots rank fifth in opponents' average drive start -- the 22.1-yard line . . . Kevin Faulk leads the NFL in punt-return average (13.5) . . . The Patriots' punt coverage team tops the league, allowing just 3.4 yards per return . . . The Patriots are 6 for 8 on fourth-down plays, with their eight plays the most of any team.

Mike Reiss can be reached at mreiss@globe.com. REISS'S PIECES For Patriots updates, go to boston.com/patriots/reiss_pieces.