So much for playoff hopes....(Welker Injury)

[QuinielaBox]

I don't like the Pats, but that's a terrible thing to happen right before the playoffs.  I'd rather see them lose because somebody legitimately beats them, rather than have them lose due to injury.

I am not impressed with the Patriots this year. They have blown 4 fourth quarter leads this year and as a direct result, have to play another physical game next week. The Patriots will probably get beaten down next week. If not next week, then certainly in San Diego or Indianapolis.  

[CbrewEra]

http://football.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/15269/20100103/patriots_likely_lose_welker_for_season/


Heart break city... a meaningless game, Welker should have sat.  Cost us our chance this, though Brady isnt doing well what so ever. 10 catches a game is a whole lot, and all I can say is a hoe Welker recovers well.

[Brickowski]

Welker doesn't play defense, does he?  When you give up 21 pts in the 4th quarter, God couldn't save you.

The Patriots will be lucky to get to the second round of the playoffs, and it has nothing to do with Welker.

[Overrated]

Losing Welker is going to hurt, but maybe that will serve as motivation for Moss or someone else to really step it up. Injuries happen. Unfortunately it had to come in a meaningless game.

The defense is really what's going to make or break the Patriots' playoff run. If they can't stop people, the Patriots are in trouble.

[Chris]

I think there is potential for this to be a small blessing in disguise.  I think Brady has been zeroing on Welker a little too much in the last few years, and I think it has led to less efficiency when they get down in the red zone.  He used to thrive by spreading the ball around to whoever was open, and the offense also used to rely more on the running game.  This injury may force them to go back a little, and use more double TE sets, run the ball more, and spread the ball around a little more.  This will make them a little less predictable, and possibly a little harder to defend. 

They will obviously really miss Welker on those 3rd downs, when Brady wants someone he can really count on to get open and catch the ball...but hopefully they can make up for it by looking for other guys.

Really though, Welker is relatively irrelevant to this teams championship aspirations.  Their offense is not what it was 2 years ago, and was never going to carry them.  This team is going as far as their defense takes them.  So unless they show that they can defend good offenses, and make big plays, they don't stand a chance anyways.

But I am an optimist, and have seen enough from this defense over the last few weeks to think they are hitting their stride (last game notwithstanding).  The secondary has looked much better with Springs stepping up, and Bodden playing excellent, and with Sanders coming out of nowhere to add some more pop next to Meriweather.  And even the pass rush has looked decent, now that they are mixing it up a bit more with stunts.  I certainly wouldn't put money on this team, but I would not be surprised at all if their defense (and a classic Norv Turner playoff performance) bring them to the Superbowl.

[RAcker]

I think the NFL competition committee or whatever it is needs to look no further than this as to why it's okay to rest key players in meaningless games if you have already earned your playoff position early.

[Fafnir]

I think the NFL competition committee or whatever it is needs to look no further than this as to why it's okay to rest key players in meaningless games if you have already earned your playoff position early.

I agree, a single non-contact knee injury just due to some bad luck can kill your SB chances....

[Bahku]

I think there is potential for this to be a small blessing in disguise.  I think Brady has been zeroing on Welker a little too much in the last few years, and I think it has led to less efficiency when they get down in the red zone.  He used to thrive by spreading the ball around to whoever was open, and the offense also used to rely more on the running game.  This injury may force them to go back a little, and use more double TE sets, run the ball more, and spread the ball around a little more.  This will make them a little less predictable, and possibly a little harder to defend. 

They will obviously really miss Welker on those 3rd downs, when Brady wants someone he can really count on to get open and catch the ball...but hopefully they can make up for it by looking for other guys.

Really though, Welker is relatively irrelevant to this teams championship aspirations.  Their offense is not what it was 2 years ago, and was never going to carry them.  This team is going as far as their defense takes them.  So unless they show that they can defend good offenses, and make big plays, they don't stand a chance anyways.

But I am an optimist, and have seen enough from this defense over the last few weeks to think they are hitting their stride (last game notwithstanding).  The secondary has looked much better with Springs stepping up, and Bodden playing excellent, and with Sanders coming out of nowhere to add some more pop next to Meriweather.  And even the pass rush has looked decent, now that they are mixing it up a bit more with stunts.  I certainly wouldn't put money on this team, but I would not be surprised at all if their defense (and a classic Norv Turner playoff performance) bring them to the Superbowl.

I agree with most of what you say here, Chris, (TP) and I'm an optimist, too, but the problem is that the Pats' running game has been built around those plays run for Welker. People think that the run game and the pass game are two separate entities, but they're not ... the plays run for Welker and Moss are plays that the opponent anticipates for them that loosen up the defense to make the run plays more effective. Receivers are also very often key blockers for run plays and bait to draw the defense away from the backs. The majority of the Patriots' offense has been keyed around Wes, run and pass plays, and the best chance we have now for success is to depend on Edelman, who is Welker's replacement for the same offense, as there really is not enough time to re-work the entire offense to work without those plays. Edelman's success will be key to how the Pat's do in the playoffs ... and of course getting some of that Brady/Moss magic going again.