FOXBORO -- With 7:25 remaining in New England's Week 9 win over Washington, Tom Brady found Brandon LaFell on a short screen pass on the left side of the field. Finding a narrow running lane, the 6-foot-2 wideout quickly burst up the field for a 17-yard gain.
For a player who missed the first six weeks of the season on the physically unable to perform list due to a foot injury, there was some noticeable explosion in how LaFell moved on the play. And that he did it in the fourth quarter after a heavy workload showed that LaFell was just about back to full strength.
"I think I'm real close," LaFell said this week. "We had a long week. We had a Thursday night game and we had an extra couple practices this week so I'm getting back to getting my wind, not being able to try to come out after three or four plays, going the whole series. I feel close."
LaFell began running back in August as part of his rehab program, but he said he's still getting his conditioning in order. There's a difference between being in shape and being in football shape, he explained. His legs are what he feels have been the last thing to come along.
"You always feel good running," he said, "but it's different when you go out there and you got a guy in front of you, pressing you every play down the field and you're get tackled. That's the difference than you going out on air."
LaFell has played in 171 of a possible 223 offensive snaps in the last three games, and with his all-round skill set -- he continues to garner praise from coaches and teammates for his ability to block -- he's quickly established himself as one of the team's most dependable weapons.
He's continuing to work to maintain his grasp on that role however he can, which right now means rapidly building up his endurance.
"It's just mind over matter," he said. "I know I got two guys behind me, Aaron Dobson and Keshawn Martin, and the last thing I want to do is come out and let those get some of my plays. I just stay hungry and try to stay out there as long as I can."