"Plenty of questions are still hovering over the 2010 Patriots [team stats]. Here's one of the most asked from last night's preseason loss to the Rams: Where's Laurence Maroney?

One place he wasn't was in the backfield behind Tom Brady [stats], taking handoffs.

We had made a big deal of this third preseason game, and Maroney's place in it. Given that he didn't play in the second game, and had what amounted to cameo time in the first game, this was hyped as the telltale game for the running back.

Another DNP surely couldn't mean anything good for the fifth-year back, who carries with him a boatload of unrealized potential.

But can we really assume anything when Bill Belichick's involved? Can we make any real judgments or jump to any sound conclusions when he's pulling the strings?"