Running commentary

Laurence Maroney rushed for 26 yards on 10 carries in San Francisco. (AP Photo)

If there was one theme that dominated in terms of e-mails this week, it was this: "What is going on with Laurence Maroney?"

The 2006 first-round draft choice did not play well in the Patriots' 30-21 victory over the 49ers on Sunday, and e-mailers are now wondering if, in his third season, we should be seeing more results.

Maroney was one of the few downers from an otherwise solid win. The Patriots traveled to San Francisco having had two weeks to digest one of their worst performances in recent years, a 38-13 loss to the Dolphins.

I sensed that some were predicting that the 49ers' game would further send the Patriots into a tailspin. I think the way the team responded is a sign that it's too early to count them out.

Overall, I feel that September and October are times in which teams need to hang in the hunt. It doesn't matter how you do it, just hang tough and give yourselves a chance come November and December. I'd use the Colts as an example. One could argue that they should be 0-4, but they're 2-2. Come November, no one will remember how they won those two games, just that they're still in the AFC mix.

Let's get to the questions. ...

With the RB-by-committee being placed in effect since week one, are we starting to see the writing on the wall that Maroney is not a top-flight back and could we start seeing more of Jordan and Morris? It's just unsettling to see Maroney in for a play and tip-toe into the O-Line, but then two plays later they run the same off-tackle play with Jordan or Morris and they gain positive, hard-earned yards. What do you feel the future holds for Maroney if this continues going into the latter half of the season and possibly even next season?
Brandon Andrews, Warwick, R.I.

A: Brandon, Maroney didn't just take hits on the field Sunday against the 49ers. He took quite a few in this week's mailbag. E-mailers got on him pretty hard for his performance, and I think it's fair criticism. As for what the future holds for Maroney, if he continues to run like he did Sunday, I think we'll see his carries reduced. I don't think he'll lose a spot on the team, in part based on his reasonable salary and that it's too early to pull the plug on him. As we saw with a player like Bethel Johnson, those with game-breaking ability can sometimes win you a game with a few big plays. I put Maroney in that category, but I just don't think he's playing with enough confidence right now.

Did you see Laurence Maroney slow down and step out of bounds with one defender in front of him and come up short of a first down in the first half on Sunday? Still think he's a NFL back, or do you share my view that he's a tap dancer in a football uniform? I can only guess he's playing for very short money or he'd be gone.
Jack, Canton

A: Of course I saw that, Jack. It was hard to miss, especially after watching Sammy Morris's efficient runs in which he exploded out of his cuts, and LaMont Jordan's bulldozer-style efforts. I wouldn't close the book on Maroney at this point - I'm not ready to give up on him - but I would acknowledge he has been a disappointment to this point.

I can't help to think that just 2 weeks ago that everyone was screaming for Cassel's head. I say 'give this guy a chance.' As you saw against the 49ers, he is maturing rather quickly and I think with every game and win he will only get better. That was a beautiful pass to Moss. I am still concerned with the line and I feel if they protect Matt he will do just fine. I would like him to not be as timid and go down field a bit more for Moss like on that play. Your thoughts?
Mike O'Brien, Pflugerville, Texas

A: I think Cassel deserves a lot of credit for his performance Sunday against the 49ers. Things could have spiraled out of control early and he held it together through that adversity. Readers of this mailbag probably know that I have expressed doubts about his long-term standing at the position. I still think he struggles at times reading defenses and taking sacks. Perhaps that will improve with more experience, and if it does, it will be a good thing because Cassel seems like the type of guy who deserves it to happen for him. As for the line, it's difficult for me to tell how much some of the sacks are a result of protection breakdowns, the quarterback holding the ball too long, the receivers not getting open, or simple defensive excellence.

Mike, where are the Pats staying/practicing this week, and were the players looking forward to staying out west for the week, or would they have preferred to make the cross country trip again?
Chip Brown

A: Hi Chip. The Patriots are practicing at San Jose State this week, and those practices are closed to the public. My sense from the players was that it was hard for some of the older guys who were leaving their wives and children behind. For some of the younger guys, especially those from warmer climates, I sense that it's a nice change of pace. On the whole, I think most of the players believe that if it leads to victories, it's a good thing. The team will travel to San Diego on Saturday.

What is going on with Terrence Wheatley? He appeared to be the number two corner coming out of training camp and now it looks like Jonathan Wilhite has passed him as he can't even get on the field. From what I've seen of the secondary, I would think that they would at least give him some run or is it finally time to get Ty Law in here?
Tim

A: Tim, I don't think Wilhite has necessarily passed Wheatley, because I actually view them to be playing different positions. I see Wilhite more as a slot corner right now, while Wheatley is more an outside corner. When the Patriots went to their dime look (six defensive backs), they needed a slot guy and that's why I feel Wilhite got the nod. Deltha O'Neal and Ellis Hobbs are clearly ahead of Wheatley on the outside right now. I don't see Ty Law coming to New England at this point.

Hi Mike, was it just me or did both San Francisco and New England start the game with a 4-3 defense?
Dan

A: Dan, the 49ers did open in the 4-3, but the Patriots were in their base 3-4. What I found interesting is that the Patriots mixed and matched their defensive looks throughout. This is what I saw:

* 3-4 base defense
* 3-3-5 nickel defense
* 4-2-5 nickel defense
* 1-4-6 dime defense
* 2-3-6 dime defense

I recorded that the Patriots were in the dime for 25 snaps, which was more than 50 percent of the 49ers' plays. So I saw that the game was played more in sub packages than in base defenses.

Mike, on your blog, I sure would have given a big "up" (on your who's up and who's down list) to Adalius Thomas and Mike Vrabel. The Pats did very little in the way of blitzing, stunts, 4 down linemen etc. yet AD and Vrabel spent the day in the 49ers backfield - full speed all day. Can I talk you into giving them a big "up" for the day?
Dave McGregor, Berlin, N.H.

A: Dave, those ups and downs are difficult to do right after the game. As a media member, I admit that I sometimes roll my eyes when a coach says "I'll have to go look at the tape" but I certainly understand it. After watching the game again, you pick up things that you can't see live, or want to see again in slower motion. So I'd put Thomas as an up. He had a team-high five tackles, a sack, and a pass deflection. I am impressed with how he plays on the line in the base 3-4, and then is off the line in a nickel package, playing more of an inside/middle linebacker role. It's a reflection of his athleticism. I wouldn't put Vrabel as an "up".

Pats D looked very, very scary once again. How much do you think the great 81-snap effort by the O kept the D from losing another? And why isn't Deltha O'Neal and maybe also Brandon Meriweather on your "downs" list.
Otis

A: Otis, I thought the defense was a mixed bag. Clearly, holding the 49ers to a 1-of-9 conversion rate on third down was a major positive. Yet the secondary did have some significant breakdowns that led to two touchdowns. One of the hard parts for me in assessing ups and downs is that I don't know what coverage is called and who is responsible in those coverages. So sometimes a defender can be nearby and it can look like he's the one that's been beaten, but it's entirely possible that help should have been there. As for Meriweather, I thought his first-quarter interception negated the fourth-quarter pass interference penalty.

Well, Mike, we're well on our way to another 18-1 season. Yet the defense is still a concern. We were led to believe that San Fran gives up a lot of sacks. Not to us. And despite three basically lucky INTs, the secondary was still a fairly easy target. How far can we really go with a defense that will force Cassel to play a shoot-out every week?
Jason Rubin, Melrose

A: Jason, I thought the sack statistic was a bit misleading in this game. The Patriots only sacked J.T. O'Sullivan once, but I felt they pressured him often. Sometimes he just scrambled and threw the ball away, which in essence, is the same impact of a sack. I thought Rodney Harrison's interception, for example, was a result of a nice push up the middle from the down linemen, forcing J.T. O'Sullivan to hurry his throw. Moving forward, I do think a big issue for the Patriots is how to get more pressure with the standard four rushers. The Patriots haven't shown they can do that consistently.

Mike, why do you think Jerod Mayo was not part of that speed dime package. It seems like he's been playing almost every defensive snap this season. But I am glad to see Guyton in there - he was impressive in preseason. I do think the Pats need to get a lot faster on defense. I've been very impressed with the speed of the better defensive teams like the Eagles, Ravens, and Bears.
Patrick Sullivan, Palmyra, Va.

A: I'm not sure the exact reason, Patrick, but I'm going to take a stab at why Mayo wasn't part of that dime package. The dime most often included one defensive lineman, four linebackers and six defensive backs. The four linebackers were most often Mike Vrabel, Adalius Thomas, Pierre Woods and Gary Guyton - and I think Guyton's combination of speed (he's the fastest linebacker) and sturdiness (he's a downhill MIKE linebacker) was the best fit to protect against potential running plays. I'd point out a second-and-8 play early in the fourth quarter when Guyton squared up and tackled dangerous 49ers running back Frank Gore on a 3-yard gain as a good example as to why he was in there with that mix of players.

Hi Mike, I was wondering how severe Lamont Jordan's leg injury is?
Jason Doherty

A: It doesn't sound like it's too serious, Jason. While Bill Belichick isn't known for providing detailed injury information, he did note on Monday that Jordan "looks like a pretty quick healer." I took that to mean that it isn't a serious injury.

I will ask the question a lot of others are asking - what is up with Chris Hanson? He punts it into the end zone when we need the opponent pinned inside the 20 and he kicks it short when we could use a boomer. He seems to have no "feel" for the game and since we are going to be in a lot more close games this season, why aren't the Pats trying to get somebody better?
Deb, Nashua, N.H.

A: Deb, the Patriots have looked at a lot of punters over the last month, but as of Monday night, I assume they feel none of them would be upgrades. One of the more notable punters who was previously in for a tryout was Ben Graham, formerly of the Jets.

Hey Mike, I was just curious as to why it seems Faulk is now the main punt returner instead of Welker. I know Welker fumbled in the KC game and I know sometimes Belichick would "punish" a player for a half or the remainder of the game - is that the issue here? Or did Bill just decide to go with Faulk this year?
Jason, Framingham

A: I think it's more of the latter, Jason. First, I think Faulk has been excellent on punt returns this year. Second, Welker had a rib problem in preseason and it's possible the team was looking to keep that from becoming more of an issue with players sprinting down the field at him and teeing off.

Good win at San Francisco. What do you think about Deltha O'Neal's interception with 3 minutes left in the 4th quarter? To me, it was a mental error, as it was fourth down from San Francisco's 40-yard line. I would rather left the ball hit the ground to take it at SF's 40 yard rather than intercepting it at New England's 38-yard line. Your thoughts?
Nissim

A: You bring up a good point, Nissim. Bill Belichick touched on it during a media conference call on Monday: "[The ball] went through Rodney's hands but fortunately Deltha was right there behind him. From a field-position standpoint it would have been better for us if we hadn't intercepted it, but it's always good to see the ball end up in our hands at the of a play. So we'll take it."

Al Davis -- yikes! It really is hard to believe that the Patriots tampered with Moss. If it is, why did Davis wait so long? With the national media piling on the Patriots since last September because of Spygate, you'd think that the Raiders owner would have brought this up sooner. Do you believe it?
Chip, Wilton, Conn.

A: I don't believe it, Chip. It would be the first time that I've ever heard a team willingly trade a player to a team that it knew tampered. I suppose Al Davis could have found something out after the trade, but I'm still not buying.

Hey Mike, what is with the white uniforms this year? They have worn them at home and away.
Mike Whealan, Louisville, Ky.

A: The Patriots chose to wear the white uniforms for both home games. A team official mentioned that the decision is based on the heat. Dark jerseys can perhaps lead to a team wearing down, so the feeling is "why drain ourselves when we can potentially drain the opposition."

At one point Randy Moss caught a pass and ran out of bounds. The clock did not stop. Why?
Bob

A: Bob, the clock stops temporarily when the player goes out of bounds, but then is re-started immediately after the ball is spotted. The only time the clock does stop after a player goes out of bounds is in the last two minutes of the first half or the last five minutes of the game.