" Fred Taylor [stats] stood in the middle of the throng of reporters, microphones shoved near his face. And the Patriots [team stats] running back, who stopped on the way to a weight-lifting session at Gillette Stadium, seemed downright giddy.

"I'm excited just to be able to be here talking to you guys," said Taylor while conducting his first interview in a month and a half.

A compliment for reporters? Hardly.

As the Pats prepared to play the Steelers on Sunday night in Pittsburgh, Taylor was just considering the alternative.

When he first went down with a toe injury in Week 3 against the Buffalo Bills, Taylor believed he knew his reality. At 34 years old, battling turf toe, he cringed when he heard the initial diagnosis. He thought his season ended."