During the regular season, the AFC champion Patriots were no question a passing team. Tom Brady set the NFL record for touchdown passes, while Randy Moss did the same for TD catches. There were many games where it didn't even appear New England bothered to investigate its own ground game.
That has changed appreciably.
Running back Laurence Maroney has rushed for 122 yards in each of the playoff wins against Jacksonville and San Diego as Brady and the passing attack have come back to earth.
After being limited to just 17 yards on seven carries in the first half of the AFC title game, Maroney powered through the Chargers for 105 yards after the intermission. He was a big reason the Patriots were able to control the ball in the second half, especially the fourth quarter.
"There were a lot of critics talking about our running game and the productivity of our game early in the season," said Maroney, a second-year pro. "So it felt good to go out there and run the clock out with the running game.
"It's a lot of excitement flowing through my body and my mind right now," Maroney said. "I've never been to a Super Bowl and never played in one. I'm just trying to stay calm right now."Maroney has scored six TDs in his last five games, including at least one in each contest. Before that Maroney had scored just two touchdowns all year. Also in those past five games, Maroney has carried 106 times (an average of slightly more than 21 times per game) for 550 yards (110-yard average). And he hasn't fumbled, which he never does.
Over a two-year career during the regular season and postseason in which Maroney has 496 total touches on rushes, receptions and kickoff returns, he has one fumble.
"He's come up with big games at the right time," fullback Heath Evans said of Maroney. "He's doing great, great things. The last couple of weeks, you've seen that shoulder pad go down (to run over defenders).
He's always had it in him. We saw film of him in college. He was running people over, as well as showing his speed. We forget sometimes that he's young. He's two years (in the league), but he really hasn't played two years because of different knickknack injuries.
"The kid's hitting his stride at the right time."
As further proof that Bill Belichick is relying more on his backs, the Pats have recorded 49 percent of the playoff first downs on running plays.
In the AFC title game, the Patriots had five third-down plays on which they needed to gain 2 yards or fewer for a first down. They successfully converted all five. Maroney carried the ball on three of those plays and Evans carried on the other two, and the gains went for 3, 8, 4, 5 and 5 yards, for an average of 5 yards per carry.
You can bet the Giants will be aware of all those numbers.
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