Last modified: Wednesday, August 27, 2008 2:55 AM EDT LaMont Jordan steps onto the field before Tuesday’s practice. The Patriots are loaded with experienced running backs and have just one more exhibition game to sort out who stays and who goes. Jordan back up and running BY MARK FARINELLA SUN CHRONICLE STAFF FOXBORO - LaMont Jordan probably didn't know that when he joined the New England Patriots, he was going to be governed by the terms of the Official Secrets Act. That certainly was the impression given by the Patriots' running back Tuesday as reporters tried to pry out of him the nature of an undisclosed injury that kept him out of some practices, and last Friday's 27-17 preseason loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Never has there been seen a more nervous expression on the face of a football player as Jordan, the ex-Raider, tried to make sure he didn't violate the unspoken confidentiality agreement he has with his new coach, Bill Belichick, on the topic of injuries. "I really don't want to talk about it, but I'm back out there practicing, I feel good and I'm ready to play Thursday," he said, surrounded by a phalanx of reporters and cameramen in front of his locker. Jordan will probably buck the trend of veterans sitting out the last preseason game when the Patriots travel Thursday to the New Jersey Meadowlands to take on the world-champion Giants (7 p.m.; Ch. 5, 64). Having seen limited action thus far in the preseason and coming off an undisclosed injury, Jordan could use the work and the coaches need to know what he can do before they can firm their decisions about how many running backs to keep. "Because I missed so much time, I played only in that one game, I think I got of to a fairly decent start," Jordan said. "Now it's just a matter of maintaining that level of consistency. I definitely want to get out there and pick up where I left off from that first game." Jordan carried 19 times for 76 yards in the preseason-opening, 16-15 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Most of the carries came in the second half, and he's the proud owner of one of the four touchdowns the Patriots have scored on offense this preseason. With Laurence Maroney in the No. 1 spot, Kevin Faulk a fixture in his third-down role and Heath Evans reliable in the fullback role, it's probably a choice between Jordan and Sammy Morris, who is recovering from a sternum-clavicle separation suffered six games into last season. Or it could be no choice at all if the Patriots opt to keep five running backs. "I think we probably have one of the deepest backfields in the league with Laurence, you've got Kev and myself, and Sammy it's a pretty crowded backfield," Jordan said. "But in today's NFL, you want to make sure that you have a deep backfield. I think the thing about us is that we all bring something different to the table, which gives the defense a different look, and which, at the end of the day, is ultimately to pick this team up." Jordan said he felt he was on a fast track to a good preseason before the injury that shall not be spoken about. "I think that playbook-wise, I'm right where I want to be," he said. "There are still a few things that I need to make sure I freshen up on. Physically, missing those days set me back a little bit, but that's what happens when you have injuries. We still have a few days, a little over a week before we actually play our first game, and I'm sure I'll be ready for that then. "I'm just thinking about getting out there and making sure that I put myself in the best possession to be successful Thursday night," he said. In truth, Jordan's competition is not with Morris. It's with a lot of other factors that go into the process by which Belichick and his coaches select the full 53-man roster. "I don't think that the players at the same position are necessarily in competition with each other," Belichick said Tuesday. "They could be, but they are also in competition for roster spots with other players on the team and possibly on the other side of the ball. We want to keep the best players, and that may be a balanced roster or not. It may include a few more players at one position and a few less at another." "I said it from Day One, I'm trying to make this ballclub," Jordan said. "Once they make the final cuts, hopefully I'm here. And once that happens, it's just a matter of getting out there and playing football again." So, Jordan is putting all thoughts of intra-positional competition out of his head and is simply focusing upon doing what it takes Thursday night to prove his worth. "It's an opportunity," he said. "I know the backfield is crowded, but I've also said that I know what I'm capable of doing. Unfortunately I had the setback with the injury this past week now, but once they make the decision of what they want to do, it's up to me to make sure that come Sundays, I'm at my best." MARK FARINELLA may be reached at 508-236-0315 or via e-mail at mfarinel@thesunchronicle.com. Read Farinella's blog, "Blogging Fearlessly," at thesunchronicle.com/farinella.