Things could be pointing in the right direction for Laurence Maroney since his four-yard touchdown run against the Eagles.

The Providence Journal / Bob Breidenbach

FOXBORO — Laurence Maroney is starting to sound like a broken record. But in recent days and weeks, the second-year running back has heard a lot of the same questions, so he’s been forced to provide the same answers.

For the record, Maroney isn’t upset with the role he’s being asked to play with the Patriots, and he is confident that his day is coming when he’ll be asked to carry the load for New England.

In Sunday’s win over the Eagles, Maroney did not step onto the field in the first half. When he did come on for New England’s second possession of the third quarter, he was handed the ball, lost a yard, and promptly went to the sidelines.

But he came back in the same drive, gaining 7 yards on his next carry, and scoring the go-ahead touchdown for the Patriots in the fourth quarter, a 4-yard score that ended with his getting shoved into the end zone by guard Stephen Neal.

Maroney said he didn’t know who it was that pushed him, but it was a pretty good hit by Neal.

It was a positive sign to Maroney that he was given that ball in that goal-line situation; there have been few games when he’s been the running back on the field when the Pats get close to the end zone.

“It made me feel like they had faith in me. I couldn’t let them down,” he said.

With Kevin Faulk on the field for the first half, primarily for pass protection, as the Patriots had just two running plays, one of which was a Tom Brady scramble, Maroney reiterated that he knows his time is coming.

While he feels he’s a competent pass-blocker, that’s not his role.

“It isn’t that I couldn’t (play on passing downs), but Kevin is our passing guy, I’m the run guy,” Maroney said. “If I’m healthy, I’m going to run the ball. It’s not like Kevin can’t run the ball. We know our roles.”

Troy Brown is in the mix

Though he has been on the field practicing with his teammates for three weeks, yesterday was the first practice this season with Troy Brown as a member of the active roster and preparing to possibly be able to play in a game.

Brady, who has had Brown as a safety valve in the passing game for his seven years as a starter, is happy to have him back in what is now an arsenal.

“It’s great. It’s great to see him. I know he’s excited. He’s been working very, very hard,” Brady said. “(He’s) played a long time and it’s great to have him up and available. I sure hope he makes a big impact on the team. He always does, just with his leadership, his ability to bring people together and he always has positive words. He’s a great leader. He’s a great teammate and everybody loves having Troy Brown.”

Brown suffered a knee injury in the AFC Championship Game in January and began the season on the physically unable to perform list before being activated on Tuesday.

Though Brown is 36 years old, coach Bill Belichick didn’t rule out another appearance by Brown on defense before the season it out:

“I wouldn’t rule anything out; anything is possible,” Belichick said. “He could do anything that we need him to do to help us win.”

Belichick relishes Reed

In his morning news press conference, Belichick raved about Baltimore safety Ed Reed, whom he has said in the past is one of the best defensive players in the league; yesterday, he called Reed “awesome.”

Belichick got to spend time with Reed in Hawaii during the Pro Bowl earlier this year, and that time enhanced his opinion of the former University of Miami standout.

Injury report

Faulk (thigh) did not practice yesterday, while Brady (right shoulder), Randall Gay (back), Neal (shoulder) and Mike Vrabel (team decision) were all limited. … Offensive lineman Billy Yates and practice-teamer Bam Childress were the men in black as practice players of the week. … Baltimore did not practice yesterday.

smanza@projo.com