"Laurence Maroney is suddenly superstitious.

The Patriots running back turned in his fourth solid game in the past five, rushing for 77 yards on 22 carries with two touchdowns.

His 1-yard plunge with five minutes left sealed the 31-14 win over the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium.

So Maroney declined to talk to reporters, saying he's only spoken on Fridays recently and adding, "I'm superstitious."

The emphasis on the power game was obvious to others.

"Balance is important," center Dan Koppen said. "Got to keep the defense on its heels.""