Post by MizzouTiger on Jan 22, 2008 0:24:15 GMT -5
www.kansascity.com/sports/football/story/454748.html
Whatever the job, Faulk gets it done for the Patriots
By RANDY COVITZ
The Kansas City Star
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. | Running back Kevin Faulk does the dirty work for the New England Patriots. Always has, always will.
Third and 4, need a first down? Faulk will get it for you. Second and long, everyone downfield is covered? Quarterback Tom Brady can always check down to Faulk for a sure gain.
Faulk, a nine-year veteran, has played an integral role in all three of the Patriots’ Super Bowl championships. And he is a key reason unbeaten New England is headed for Super Bowl XLII against the New York Giants.
Deployed mostly on passing downs, Faulk has lined up as a running back, a wide receiver and a kick returner during his career. He has led the Patriots once in rushing yards, twice in total yards from scrimmage and punt-return average and four times in kickoff-return average.
“Real simple,” Faulk said after Sunday’s 21-12 victory over San Diego in the AFC championship game. “Be prepared no matter what the situation is. You might be in on third down, you might be in first or second down, we never know. If the opportunity comes, you have to be ready, no matter what.”
Faulk caught a game-high eight passes for 82 yards in the victory over San Diego — and five of them went for first downs on gains of 14, 13, 12, 11 and 14 yards.
The most critical one came on the long, 15-play drive that ran out the final 9 minutes, 13 seconds of the game.
On the fourth play of the drive, a third-and-11 from the New England 24, Faulk reached low for a swing pass and his momentum took him to the ground. But he rolled past the first-down marker before a Chargers defender could touch him.
The play moved the chains, kept the clock moving, and forced the Chargers to start using their timeouts after the next play.
“I just saw the ball and dove for it,” Faulk said. “It was the opportunity to make a first down. (Rolling) was just a natural reaction. Nobody had touched me, so the reaction was to keep moving.”
Faulk, 31, recognizes his role. A second-round draft pick from LSU in 1999, he has never rushed for more than 700 yards in a season. He carried the ball just 62 times for 265 yards this season and caught 47 passes for 383 yards and a touchdown.
But Faulk, who is third in seniority with the Patriots to wide receiver Troy Brown and linebacker Tedi Bruschi, has averaged 1,129 all-purpose yards per season.
While most of the headlines go to the Patriots’ eight Pro Bowlers in the locker room, Faulk’s teammates understand his value.
In fact, the Patriots elected him as one of their offensive captains for this season.
“He is a headliner,” said veteran linebacker Junior Seau, who spent seven seasons defending Faulk before joining the Patriots last season. “And the third downs in which he played were one of the reasons we’re here today.
“Everybody has a role, and if there’s a role for a player to play one down, and it’s third down, that’s a money down. Trust me. He’s special.”
After his rolling first down, Faulk picked up one more first down, converting on third-and-3 for 14 more yards to the San Diego 44 with 4:28 to play. Then he watched fellow running back Laurence Maroney finish the job with six straight runs before Brady took two kneel-downs.
Then, Faulk knew he was heading for his fourth Super Bowl in seven seasons. And he started to choke with emotion.
“Once the clock was ticking down,” Faulk said, “the emotion level just runs real high, and I think the whole team is that way. It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve been there, or what you’ve done over the course of your career, when that moment comes, you can’t hold your emotions. You can’t hide them.”
Whatever the job, Faulk gets it done for the Patriots
By RANDY COVITZ
The Kansas City Star
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. | Running back Kevin Faulk does the dirty work for the New England Patriots. Always has, always will.
Third and 4, need a first down? Faulk will get it for you. Second and long, everyone downfield is covered? Quarterback Tom Brady can always check down to Faulk for a sure gain.
Faulk, a nine-year veteran, has played an integral role in all three of the Patriots’ Super Bowl championships. And he is a key reason unbeaten New England is headed for Super Bowl XLII against the New York Giants.
Deployed mostly on passing downs, Faulk has lined up as a running back, a wide receiver and a kick returner during his career. He has led the Patriots once in rushing yards, twice in total yards from scrimmage and punt-return average and four times in kickoff-return average.
“Real simple,” Faulk said after Sunday’s 21-12 victory over San Diego in the AFC championship game. “Be prepared no matter what the situation is. You might be in on third down, you might be in first or second down, we never know. If the opportunity comes, you have to be ready, no matter what.”
Faulk caught a game-high eight passes for 82 yards in the victory over San Diego — and five of them went for first downs on gains of 14, 13, 12, 11 and 14 yards.
The most critical one came on the long, 15-play drive that ran out the final 9 minutes, 13 seconds of the game.
On the fourth play of the drive, a third-and-11 from the New England 24, Faulk reached low for a swing pass and his momentum took him to the ground. But he rolled past the first-down marker before a Chargers defender could touch him.
The play moved the chains, kept the clock moving, and forced the Chargers to start using their timeouts after the next play.
“I just saw the ball and dove for it,” Faulk said. “It was the opportunity to make a first down. (Rolling) was just a natural reaction. Nobody had touched me, so the reaction was to keep moving.”
Faulk, 31, recognizes his role. A second-round draft pick from LSU in 1999, he has never rushed for more than 700 yards in a season. He carried the ball just 62 times for 265 yards this season and caught 47 passes for 383 yards and a touchdown.
But Faulk, who is third in seniority with the Patriots to wide receiver Troy Brown and linebacker Tedi Bruschi, has averaged 1,129 all-purpose yards per season.
While most of the headlines go to the Patriots’ eight Pro Bowlers in the locker room, Faulk’s teammates understand his value.
In fact, the Patriots elected him as one of their offensive captains for this season.
“He is a headliner,” said veteran linebacker Junior Seau, who spent seven seasons defending Faulk before joining the Patriots last season. “And the third downs in which he played were one of the reasons we’re here today.
“Everybody has a role, and if there’s a role for a player to play one down, and it’s third down, that’s a money down. Trust me. He’s special.”
After his rolling first down, Faulk picked up one more first down, converting on third-and-3 for 14 more yards to the San Diego 44 with 4:28 to play. Then he watched fellow running back Laurence Maroney finish the job with six straight runs before Brady took two kneel-downs.
Then, Faulk knew he was heading for his fourth Super Bowl in seven seasons. And he started to choke with emotion.
“Once the clock was ticking down,” Faulk said, “the emotion level just runs real high, and I think the whole team is that way. It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve been there, or what you’ve done over the course of your career, when that moment comes, you can’t hold your emotions. You can’t hide them.”