Running back Taylor to sit out

FOXBOROUGH -- Bill Belichick said earlier this week the Jacksonville Jaguars have such a stable of talented backs that sometimes it's difficult to identify which runner is carrying the ball. Well, the Patriots won't have to look for Fred Taylor tomorrow. The Jaguars downgraded Taylor yesterday from questionable to out with a hamstring injury.

"He's just not ready to go," Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio said. "We'll give him the weekend to rest it, and hopefully we'll have him back at practice next week."

Del Rio said rookie Maurice Jones-Drew, who is also on the injury report (knee), will start in place of Taylor, the Jaguars' leading rusher with 1,120 yards, the 10th best total in the league. Jones-Drew leads all NFL rookies with 13 touchdowns and has rushed for 764 yards and 10 scores on 135 carries this season.

With Taylor out, the Jaguars, who have the second-rated rushing attack in the league (163.8 yards per game) and have rushed for 100-plus yards in 10 straight games, will turn to fourth-year back LaBrandon Toefield and second-year man Alvin Pearman to shoulder some of the load. Toefield has played in just three games this season and carried the ball a total of nine times. He had six carries for 25 yards last week against Tennessee.

"He's a good player," said Del Rio. "He's just in a numbers situation where we can't get him on the field as often as we'd like. He's productive when we play him."

Patriots defensive end Richard Seymour said that no matter who totes the ball for Jacksonville, the Patriots are in for a challenge.

"We are going to have our work cut out for us," said Seymour. "They can run the ball anywhere. It is just a big week for us because they do a really good job running the football."

While Jacksonville will be without one of its top running backs, the Patriots might be getting one of their runners back. Rookie Laurence Maroney, who has missed the last two games with a rib injury, pointed to his equipment bag and said he had a good feeling, when asked about playing this week. It's also looking more likely that safety Rodney Harrison (questionable, shoulder) could return to action this week. Harrison, who broke the scapula in his right shoulder against the Indianapolis Colts Nov. 5, participated in a full week of practice for the first time since the injury and also had an equipment bag packed for Jacksonville. Vince Wilfork (right ankle) and Benjamin Watson (left knee) were the only players not present for the media portion of practice, which was just stretching. Both players are listed as questionable. There were no changes to the New England injury report . . . Belichick wouldn't commit to a holder for tomorrow's game. Punter Ken Walter had the job before he was put on injured reserve Tuesday. Belichick said practice squad punters Danny Baugher and Tom Malone had both been holding during the week, as well as the quarterbacks. It seems unlikely that newly signed punter Todd Sauerbrun would be asked to hold, although he does have experience. Belichick would not rule out having two punters -- one to punt and one to hold -- active tomorrow against Jacksonville. However, backup quarterback Matt Cassel said he has been holding all week and indicated he expected to get the nod to hold for rookie kicker Stephen Gostkowski, who has made 10 straight field goals and 15 of his last 16. Cassel was confident he could do the job, saying it's not rocket science. "It's not," said Cassel. "I'm just going to go in there and do the job -- put the ball down and let Stephen do what he has to do."

Time is running out for rookie wide receiver Chad Jackson to make an impact. Jackson has 10 catches for 131 yards and three touchdowns this season, but hasn't caught a pass since Nov. 19 against Green Bay. Jackson said he feels like it's been awhile since he made a play. "Yeah, it's been a minute. It's been a long time," said Jackson. "Hopefully, I get to step up and make some plays." Jackson acknowledged his rookie season, which has been slowed by a nagging hamstring injury and more recently a groin injury that sidelined him against Detroit and Miami, has not been what he expected. "It's been kind of an up and down year," said Jackson. "I've had injuries and stuff like that. I've had to deal with a lot of things. Hopefully, next year it will be better." Of course Jackson won't have to wait until next year to make a more favorable impression if he makes plays down the stretch. "If I'm not making them right now, I definitely have to make them in the playoffs," said Jackson. "That's what they're looking to me for." . . . One area where Belichick said the Patriots will have to be careful is allowing big plays once Jacksonville quarterback David Garrard scrambles outside of the pocket. Belichick cited a pair of plays Garrard made last week against Tennessee, where he scrambled to his right and hit Reggie Williams all the way back on the other side of the field for big gains. "Those are the kinds of plays that he makes," said Belichick. "Some quarterbacks don't make those but he can definitely make them."

Mike Reiss of the Globe staff contributed to this report; material from the Associated Press was also used.