"After Oct. 4, the day his ankle rolled and he hobbled off the Gillette Stadium field, Fred Taylor sustained a jarring change to his daily life. Taylor had adhered to football's routine for all of his adult life, until it became embedded in him. This year, he swapped that for ankle surgery, cooped up day after day in the trainer's room. "How much can you ice?'' he said.

With the tedium behind him, Taylor is grateful for having endured it. The Patriots could have placed him on injured reserve and ended his season. Instead, they kept him on the roster for the purpose he'll serve this week."