Smith

FOXBORO — As Ty Warren and now Richard Seymour have dealt with injuries through the final weeks of this season, New England has had to go to its reserves once again, with a familiar result: success.

Mike Wright and Le Kevin Smith have answered the bell for the Patriots, seeing their respective snap counts rise and proving that in New England, backups are sometimes starters-in-waiting.

For Wright, the undrafted fourth-year player, getting playing time is nothing new. In 2006, he started four games on the defensive line. Last year, slowed by a foot injury, he played in just eight games, starting one before being placed on injured reserve in mid-December.

This season, Wright has played in all 15 games, starting two, and his 2½ sacks are one more than he had recorded in the first three years of his career. The 6-foot-4, 295-pound Cincinnati native — he attended the same high school, Purcell Marian, as the great Roger Staubach — has played at both end and tackle for the Pats.

“It’s been good to have Mike this year,” coach Bill Belichick said yesterday. “He missed a little bit of time in training camp, but he’s gotten better as the year’s gone along. He’s helped us on all three downs. He has some good versatility for us. Mike’s worked hard, he’s a strong guy, a very physical player. He plays with a lot of power, so it’s good when he brings that element of his game to our (defensive) front. He creates some penetration and helps get negative plays.”

Wright seemed to take up permanent residence in Arizona’s backfield last week, and while he was credited with just a half-sack, he had four hits on Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner.

While Wright has gotten his share of time as a sub, Smith is a different story.

A sixth-round draft pick out of Nebraska in 2006, the 6-foot-3 308-pounder is still nimble enough to complete a backflip. But after starting 35 of 49 games with the Cornhuskers, Smith wasn’t used to sitting on the bench — or worse, not even getting to suit up for the game, which happened 11 times during his rookie season.

Last year, he found a niche on special teams and played in 13 games but still had very few chances to play with the defense.

But over the last month, as Warren has missed time because of his partially torn groin, Smith has gotten his opportunity.

He heeded the advice of strength and conditioning coach Mike Woicik, who told Smith in the offseason that he shouldn’t wait for his opportunity to arrive and then get ready for it; he should be ready and waiting for the moment.

To that end, Smith got stronger and faster before the season and now feels that he’s not fighting himself on the field.

“My speed, quickness, trying to follow offensive linemen — now I have quick feet to move down the line,” Smith explained. “Or I can play more with strength because I got stronger this offseason.”

Smith and Wright, playing behind three talented starters in Warren, Seymour and Vince Wilfork, have also looked up to top backup Jarvis Green since arriving in New England.

“Jarvis is in the spot that we want to have,” Smith said. “Talking with Jarvis, he’s telling us exactly what you’re expected to do when [we’re] in that spot.”

Echoing the thoughts of many other players, Wright is just glad that he and Smith have responded when they were called upon.

“It’s nice to be out there on the field helping the team out,” Wright said. “It’s been nice for both [me] and Le Kevin.”

smanza@projo.com