New England Patriots Face the Postseason Minus Wes Welker

Wes Welker was not a recognizable name to any football fans until he came to New England. Despite starting his career in San Diego and breaking all kinds of team records when playing for the Miami Dolphins, Wes Welker was an underrated player.

Since arriving in New England in 2007, he has become a fan favorite. Known for being more a slot receiver, Wes Welker is Tom Brady's go to man. He is a perfect decoy for Randy Moss and seems to make virtually every catch. He is ultra reliable and makes even difficult catches especially in a clutch situation. He is very similar to Tom Brady in that regard and that is the reason New England fans are so distraught at the thought of going through the post-season without Welker.

On Sunday January 3^rd as Patriots fans watched their beloved Patriots try and beat the Houston Texans, the entire New England fan base stopped short. After a seemingly routine route, Wes Welker lay in obvious pain on the turf. After several minutes he was helped off the field and loaded onto a cart and taken out of the stadium. Unfortunately for Patriots fans this is the last we will see of Wes in a uniform this football season.

After tearing both his ACL and MCL, Welker has a long road ahead of him and although he vows to be back as soon as possible, Patriots fans everywhere are hoping that is sooner than later. It is quite possible he will not be fully recovered by the start of next season. Not only is Welker loved for his football talent but because he seems to be a genuinely likeable guy.

Out with an injury for 2 games early on, Wes Welker still made 123 receptions for 1348 yards and 4 touchdowns in 2009.

As a New England fan I will admit that the Patriots are not the Patriots of the past decade. Their defense has left a lot to be desired on most occasions after losing quite a few key players to retirement or injury this year. For this reason players like Wes Welker are so important in New England's quest for another Lombardi Trophy.

The good news for Pats fans is that Julian Edelmen a rookie has a lot of the same abilities as Welker. While he does not come with as much experience, being a former college quarterback making the transition to receiver he is a star in the making. In addition, the Pats have Randy Moss one of the best receivers in the league and Tom Brady as their quarterback. They have a great team of running backs with Maroney, Taylor, Morris and Faulk and Ben Watson at tight-end.

The Pats could still do pretty well in the playoffs but having Wes Welker healthy and making clutch receptions in the playoffs would have all of us a little more relaxed. I am sure Tom Brady would agree.

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