FOXBORO — Kevin Faulk has become a key part of the Patriots’ offense, the guy who always answers the call and rarely gets enough credit for his contributions.

But he wasn’t always as invaluable as he is now. Most New England followers remember that Faulk had a bit of a problem with ball security, but he also wasn’t the best pass protector once upon a time, either.

The 5-foot-8, 33-year-old has long since added that skill to his repertoire, though it took some learning on his part.

“It was technique,” Faulk said this week of his early problems in pass protection. “I was trying to absorb blocks — I’ve always thought I had strong legs, so I felt like if I could absorb a player coming into me, I could regain my leverage and hold them off. It worked for a while … until you get to those players who are 265 pounds that just pick you up and run you back to the quarterback.”

But with the help of teammates and coaches along the way — he rattles off names such as Kirby Wilson and Ivan Fears (the running backs coach when he was drafted and his current position coach, respectively), as well as former Pats Terry Allen, Antowain Smith, Larry Centers and Corey Dillon — Faulk became stronger.

He takes it as a point of pride now.

“It really is funny for me now; I’ll be cheering (after a good block) as if I made a 30- or 40-yard run, because I know that’s what they expect of me,” Faulk said.

With Faulk suspended for the first game of the season last year, there are some that believe Tom Brady’s knee injury would not have occurred had he, and not Sammy Morris, been the one charged with picking up then-Chief Bernard Pollard on a blitz.

Against the Jets this week, Faulk will be called on again, but he knows there won’t be any fancy moves from New York defenders as they try to get to Brady.

“You don’t have to worry about them juking you; they just try to run you over,” he said.

Colts game has legs

Patriots players seem to be under a mandate this week — understandably so — that they aren’t to talk about the Colts game anymore. The game was days ago, and New England has turned the page to the Jets.

But that doesn’t mean reporters don’t still try.

One last effort came Thursday, when Jerod Mayo was asked about the comments of former teammate Tedy Bruschi, one of several past Patriots who have been critical of Bill Belichick’s decision to keep the offense on the field for that fateful fourth-down play in Indianapolis.

Mayo, who soaked up every drop of knowledge Bruschi offered last year when the 10th overall pick in the draft was learning the ins and outs as a rookie, shot down Bruschi’s notion that Belichick showed a lack of confidence in the Pats’ defense with his decision.

“To be honest, I have the ultimate respect for Tedy and everything that he’s done for this organization,” Mayo said. “But he’s not in this locker room at this point in time. He doesn’t know the feelings that this defense or this team has. We still have our confidence; we still have our swagger.”

Mayo, a defensive captain along with Vince Wilfork, said the unit looked at it as a challenge, not a knock, and that Belichick believed the defense could stop Peyton Manning on a short field.

Bruschi, now a full-fledged media member with ESPN, wrote this week that Belichick sent a message to his defense, and as a player he would look at the decision “as a lack of confidence in our ability as a defensive unit to come up with a big play to win the game.”

Injury report

The Patriots saw key players Ty Warren, Randy Moss, Gary Guyton and Sam Aiken all return to the practice field on Thursday, but there were still five players who were not able to participate in the shells-and-sweats session on Gillette’s upper practice fields.

They were: Fred Taylor (ankle), Stephen Neal (head), Rob Ninkovich (knee), Tully Banta-Cain (groin) and Jarvis Green (knee).

Warren (ankle) and Aiken (hip) were among a large group that was limited in practice; Eric Alexander (groin), Chris Baker (shoulder), Ron Brace (ankle), Julian Edelman (forearm), Dan Koppen (knee), Matt Light (knee) and Sammy Morris (knee) joined them.

Moss (not injury-related) and Guyton (illness) were removed from the Pats’ list.

Linebacker Vernon Gholston (hamstring) and safety Jim Leonhard (thumb) once again did not practice; defensive end Shaun Ellis (knee) and receiver Brad Smith (quadriceps) were limited.

Quick kicks

Factoid of the week that New England fans hope won’t happen again: The Patriots’ streak of avoiding back-to-back losses is at 48 weeks, but the last time they posted consecutive defeats was Nov. 5 and Nov. 12, 2006. The opponents? The Colts and Jets…Guyton currently leads the Patriots in tackles, with 52 (33 solo); Brandon Meriweather is second with 50 (28 solo)… Moss leads the NFL in receiving yardage, with 891 on 58 receptions; the Colts’ Reggie Wayne is second, with 879 (69 catches)…Wes Welker is tied for second in the league in receptions, with 64, despite missing two games. Wayne’s 69 is tops.

smanza@projo.com