FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Fred Taylor injected some serious life into the New England Patriots' fragile running game in their 26-10 victory against the Atlanta Falcons at Gillette Stadium on Sunday.
The 33-year-old running back was having flashbacks to his younger days, as he compiled 21 rushes for 105 yards and his second touchdown of the season. Through the first two weeks of the season, the Patriots (2-1, 1-1 AFC East) had 100 passes and just 43 rushes, a ratio that allowed opposing defenses to attack New England's one-dimensional offense. The Patriots were much more diverse against the Falcons (2-1, 1-0 NFC South), though, passing 42 times and running 39.
"The main objective is to score points, whether it's run or pass," Taylor said. "You want to be balanced going into each game, but sometimes certain situations don't allow for it. I think Tom [Brady] might feel a little better that we were able to run the ball a little bit, but the bottom line is to put points on the board and try to win the game, whether it's 1,000 passes or 1,000 rushes. We just want to win the game."
It was the 49th career 100-yard game for Taylor, who ranks ninth all-time and second among active players in that category. His 48 previous 100-yard performances came during his 11 years as a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Taylor only managed to eclipse the century mark once in 2008 — it also came in Week 3.
"He ran great," said Brady, who has mentioned this season that the Patriots need to establish more balance on offense. "He's really shifty, so even when there's not a lot of room in there, he makes yards whenever we give him the ball. He's a really good player for us, and we've got to get him the ball. The run game was great. [It] really set up the play-action that we had. It was really good execution on the offensive line and the running backs' parts."
Taylor's best game as a Patriot came against Falcons head coach Mike Smith, the former Jaguars defensive coordinator, who used to see Taylor at practice on a daily basis from 2003-07. Smith has also brought several former Jaguars to Atlanta, and they were reminded of the man who was the face of the Jacksonville franchise for 11 years.
"I knew coming into the game he still had it," said Atlanta linebacker Mike Peterson, who was Taylor's teammate for six years. "I knew it was going to be a battle. I think he got the best of it [on Sunday]."
Because of the Patriots' rushing attack, they had the ball for 39:49 against the Falcons. Their extended possessions kept Matt Ryan and Atlanta's explosive offense — which entered the game tied for fifth in the NFL in points scored — on the sidelines. The Patriots had five offensive drives that spanned at least 11 plays, and they were able to kill the last 6:52 of the fourth quarter to seal their second victory of the season.
"As an offensive guy, you want to establish that momentum and look over across the ball and see the frustration in the defensive guys, in their face, their eyes," said Taylor, who passed John Riggins for 15th on the all-time rushing list. "It just fires you up to keep going."