The Patriots and Maroney have a more humble aim in mind. Simply, they are hoping to reacquire depth at running back, which suffered blows when Fred Taylor and Sammy Morris were injured. Although Taylor’s return is not imminent, Morris, after practicing this week, appears poised to return tomorrow.

“I’m not going to feel completed until Fred gets back with us, but slowly but surely, we’re reconnecting,’’ Maroney said. “Like Voltron, as I call it.’’

In a sign he is close to coming back from his knee injury, Morris addressed reporters at his locker yesterday. He said he felt good, but did not commit to playing. “We’ll see Sunday,’’ he said. Morris has not played since Week 6 against the Titans.

“It’s frustrating,’’ Morris said. “Whether the team wins or loses, it’s frustrating having to sit and watch. Injuries are part of the game. I’ve had some time to prepare. I’m just excited about getting back.’’

Without Morris, the Patriots have been missing their best short-yardage back and have had to play BenJarvus Green-Ellis at fullback on occasion. The backfield attrition has hurt the Patriots, but coach Bill Belichick planned for it.

“I think running back is a tough position to play,’’ Belichick said. “You have 11 guys on the other side all trying to kill the guy with the ball. I think having depth at that position is a good thing. You don’t always have it, but we are fortunate that on our roster we have it.’’

“It’s life,’’ said Maroney, who has carried the ball or caught a pass 516 times in his four-year career and has fumbled only twice. “Not every story ya’ll write is a good story, not everything ya’ll do is by the books and correct. We’re all human and we make mistakes, and it’s one of those things that you put it behind you and just go on and try to move on to the next plan and try to get better.’’

Maroney has scored in four consecutive games. He was told that a few of his teammates have shown support for him since the loss to the Colts.

“I hope they do,’’ Maroney said. “One fumble? I think that’s good just to have one fumble and hopefully, it’ll stay at one fumble. It’s one of them things that, things happen. You can’t cry about it. You can’t hold your head down about it, you have to go out there on the next play and make a big play.’’

Despite Maroney’s fumble and Tom Brady’s interception in the end zone, the Patriots enter the weekend leading the AFC in turnover ratio at plus-8, which is good for third in the NFL. The Patriots have thrown six interceptions and have lost three fumbles this season, but the defense has pulled in nine interceptions and recovered eight fumbles.

Vollmer could move to the bench, move to right tackle in place of Nick Kaczur, or stay at left tackle and force Light to move from the left side, where he has played for nine years, to the right.

Switching Light seems a logical move given how Vollmer stifled some of the most explosive edge rushers in the game, something Light has struggled with at times, and how Kaczur struggled against Colts defensive end Robert Mathis.

The adjustment for Light may not be that simple. Belichick remembers playing Light on the right side in 2001, his rookie year, and used that experiment to explain the prospects of such a move.

“He probably would’ve been a lot better off playing at left tackle,’’ Belichick said. “He came in, we put him at right tackle, and then he ended up hurting his ankle in preseason and we ended up moving him back to left tackle and he started most of his rookie year there. He got in the Super Bowl, and all that, but if I had put him at left tackle in the first place, instead of at right tackle, he probably would’ve had a better rookie year.

“Did we think he could play right tackle? Yeah. But I think he’s a better left tackle. Nick, on the other hand, came in as a left tackle in college, all the way, the first thing we do is move him over to right tackle, and he’s done well there. Last year, we got into a bind, and previous years when we’ve been in a bind, we move Nick back to left tackle. He truly has played both. But, again, until something like that happens, you don’t really know. Can Matt play right tackle? I’m sure he could. But he’s done a lot better at left tackle.’’

Albert R. Breer of the Globe staff contributed; Adam Kilgore can be reached at akilgore@globe.com.