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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Everybody knows what one of the Patriots' newcomers did Sunday.

They may have to look a little deeper, beyond the excitement generated by Randy Moss' big debut at a Patriot, to see the valuable contributions of two other new members of the offensive unit.

Wes Welker, the former Miami slot receiver, gave Tom Brady another very appealing option every time he took the field Sunday, even if there were a few minor flaws in that first effort.

And Sammy Morris, another ex-Dolphin, proved that he's ideally suited for the role that used to be handled by the fellow who got bumped up to the lead-back position this year, Laurence Maroney.

"We have a lot of versatility, especially in the backfield," said Morris, who gained 54 yards on 11 carries and caught two passes for 11 yards in his New England debut. "When I'm on the sideline and I see Laurence in there running, or Kevin Faulk or even Heath Evans, it's exciting to me as a running back to see that much talent and to know it's still a humble group, with no selfishness." Maroney and Morris perfectly executed the same sort of ball-control offense late in the 38-14 victory over the Jets that was previously provided by Corey Dillon and Maroney before the former was released at the end of last season.

Maroney (20 carries, 72 yards) and Morris teamed up for nine carries in a 17-play, 75-yard march that culminated in a 22-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski with 6:51 left to play, putting the Patriots up 31-14. The possession took a whopping 10:28 off the clock and blunted any hopes of the Jets rallying late in the game.

"As a unit, that's one thing we're trying to emphasize," said Morris, who was briefly shaken up during the possession but returned quickly. "Tom was telling us to get a good drive going and to kill a lot of this clock. We were able to do just that. The offensive line did a great job of staying up front and knowing that we needed to get four or five yards a pop.

"It's really exciting to see how we're utilizing our weapons," he said.

Welker caught six passes for 61 yards and a touchdown, which was a thing of beauty.

Late in the Patriots' first possession, facing third-and-8 at the Jets' 11, Welker was split out left, sprinted out in front of eighth-year veteran cornerback David Barrett, caught the pass from Brady and made a stutter-step move that left Barrett flatfooted and left him with an easy track to the end zone.

Welker and Brady have created some interesting chemistry already, but the fourth-year veteran also likes how Brady is never satisfied in the huddle. Welker said he felt the sting after dropping one catchable pass.

"Tom's a competitor, man," he said. "Even toward the end, he was pushing guys, telling us we needed to get this done, to keep on moving the ball, that we're not letting up, and he kind of set the tone for the type of mentality that we need to have."

Brady got seven different receivers involved in his 297-yard total Sunday, also finding Benjamin Watson, Donté Stallworth, Kevin Faulk and Jabar Gaffney with passes.

"We're excited about all the different people we've got," Welker said. "We've been working well together, there are a lot of options out there, and we've just got to keep on working together and keep on making plays."