"In a quiet corner of the Patriots locker room, Laurence Maroney explained yesterday that he did not hear the boos directed toward him during the fourth quarter of last Sunday's 27-21 win over the Baltimore Ravens at Gillette Stadium. Maroney's helmet might have muted the verbal rebuke, but he got the message loud and clear: The Foxborough Faithful expect more from him.

"It's never one of those things where I think the fans dislike me or don't want me to be a running back here no more,'' said Maroney. "I look at it as they want me to do good and they expect more from me, and that's basically what they're letting me know. They expect more, and I have to give them more.''

Maroney vowed to use the displeasure voiced by the fans as motivation."