McDaniels will not interview

FOXBOROUGH - Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has declined the opportunity to interview for head coaching jobs with the Atlanta Falcons and Baltimore Ravens.

"I am very grateful for the chance to interview for NFL head coaching positions, but I have decided not to pursue those opportunities at this time," McDaniels said in a statement last night. "I plan to focus all my attention on our postseason preparation."

McDaniels had contact with officials from both the Falcons and Ravens yesterday, informing them of his intentions. Earlier this week, both clubs had officially requested permission to interview him.

McDaniels, 31, is in his third season calling the plays for the record-setting Patriots' offense and is considered a rising star in the coaching ranks. Patriots coach Bill Belichick has previously said he believes McDaniels will be an excellent head coach in the future.

This is McDaniels's seventh season coaching in the NFL. He has decided not to pursue any head coaching openings for 2008, meaning he will return to the team next season.

According to various reports, Cowboys offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, Cowboys assistant head coach Tony Sparano, and Colts assistant head coach Jim Caldwell are top candidates for current openings.

Return engagement?

The Patriots got reacquainted with a familiar face yesterday, hosting free agent receiver Bethel Johnson.

Johnson, a second-round draft choice in 2003, was widely considered a disappointment with the club. He played in 39 games from 2003-05 and totaled 30 catches for 450 yards and four touchdowns.

The most notable contributions made by the speedy Johnson came on kickoff returns, where he had 102 runbacks, two of which were returned for scores.

Yet, after his production declined in each of his first three seasons, Johnson was traded to the Saints in exchange for defensive lineman Johnathan Sullivan prior to the 2006 campaign. But neither player panned out with his new team.

Johnson hooked on with the Vikings for 11 games in 2006 but has not played in the league this season. The former Texas A&M product attempted to hook on with the Texans in training camp but was cut before the season.

The visit with Johnson could be geared toward next season, or perhaps for the playoffs, as Johnson could provide value as a returner.

Full circle

When linebacker Junior Seau was helped off the field Nov. 26, 2006, his broken right arm secured as he waved to the Gillette Stadium crowd with his left hand, the hurt lingered. It wasn't just his arm that ached, but also his football-loving heart.

After 17 seasons, Seau knew he might have just lost his final chance to compete in the playoffs and to win his first Super Bowl.

The hurt lingered to the point he couldn't bring himself to watch the Patriots' 38-34 loss to the Colts in the AFC Championship game. Instead, Seau went surfing in his native San Diego.

"I just wanted to block it out," he said yesterday. "It was definitely a time in my life when I needed to just get away from the game."

For a player known for arriving at the stadium before the sun rises, and often being the last to leave, it was the first time he could remember ever needing to be away from football.

"I was hoping, wishing, and praying, and it didn't happen, obviously," he said.

All of which makes Seau's current situation more meaningful. As the Patriots returned to work yesterday, transitioning from the thrill of a 16-0 regular season to the challenge of preparing for a playoff run, Seau, who will turn 39 Jan. 19, talked about his determination to write a successful ending to the season.

That, he believes, is more important than authoring his own inspirational comeback story.

"It only means something if we win consistently from here on out," he said. "To celebrate that we're here is not why I came back. There is more to this journey than to talk about how appreciative and grateful I am. That will be a story that will happen in weeks to come."

Positive thinking

Laurence Maroney's progress as a goal-line and short-yardage back has emerged as a positive as the Patriots head into the playoffs. Maroney rushed for touchdowns of 5 and 6 yards against the New York Giants last Saturday and also rushed for a key 2-point conversion. This after the second-year back was used sparingly in that role and had no scoring runs in the first nine games. But he had six rushing TDs over the last seven games of the season, including a 59-yarder vs. the Miami Dolphins on a third-and-1 attempt.

"It felt good to know that they trust and believe in me and they were able to give me the ball down in the red zone," Maroney said. "I knew I had to make every chance count, so you know I did feel good about myself."

Said Belichick, "I don't think it's anything that's specifically been orchestrated or a big-time goal or anything. It just kind of worked out that way, but we've always had confidence in him. He's a good runner."

A full plate

In addition to making 11 catches for 122 yards, both game highs, receiver Wes Welker also had a key pancake block on Giants safety James Butler that sprung Maroney on his 6-yard TD run. "Any time you get a chance to come down and block, you've got to take pride in that," Welker said. "The more we run the ball, the more it's going to help the passing game." Asked if it was his first pancake block, Welker said, "Yeah, it was the first pancake like that, where he saw it coming. I can't say that I've ever had one where a guy's sitting there looking at me." . . . Tight end Kyle Brady, who has battled a foot injury that forced him to miss the last two games, was present for the media-access portion of yesterday's practice inside the Dana-Farber Field House. Right tackle Nick Kaczur, defensive lineman Ty Warren, running back Kyle Eckel, and cornerbacks Asante Samuel and Ellis Hobbs were not present . . . Offensive lineman Billy Yates and practice squad defensive lineman Santonio Thomas were named practice players of the week for helping the team prepare for its victory over the Giants . . . Saying the Patriots needed to focus on improving themselves in practices yesterday and today, Belichick put the team through workouts in full pads. Although such practices this late in the season are rare, Seau said the decision was "well accepted" among the players.

Christopher L. Gasper and Michael Vega of the Globe staff contributed to this report.