"The last time the Patriots played the Baltimore Ravens, Fred Taylor tore up his right ankle so badly he wasn't sure he would make it back before season's end, much less compete in the postseason.

The veteran running back injured the ankle on his final carry during the Pats' Week 4 win at Gillette Stadium. Taylor had just come off a 100-yard game the previous week against Atlanta, and was poised to unseat Laurence Maroney as the lead back before suffering severe ligament damage in the ankle.

With a passing game that's without Wes Welker, and a running game that can't trust Maroney at the goal line, the Pats could sure use the Taylor that existed before that fateful carry three months ago.

But does that version of Taylor still exist?

Taylor, who has been back in action for two weeks, was asked yesterday if he felt like he was the same player he was in Week 3. His answer was revealing.

It began with a "Well," and then a pause. He was looking for the right words. He settled on something indirect, but still provided an unsettling truth.

"I have the same mindset," Taylor said. "I'm trying to be a little bit healthier."

Obviously, that's not quite the response you'd like to hear, but it's an honest one. Physically, Taylor isn't quite there yet, especially when it comes to maneuvering on that ankle, but then again, it probably isn't realistic to think he could be with such a severe injury."