It's more about Tom Brady than Wes Welker!!!

[crawhammer]

Our offense was TOO reliant on welker/Gronkowski last year....and I think people are freaking out because Welker isnt playing 90% of the snaps which was sort of an outlier last year

Another stupid comment.

NE offense 2011:
3rd in scoring
2nd in yards
2nd in passing

Brady threw for the second most yards in NFL history and continued his reign as the greatest QB in the history of the game. Welker had another phenomenal season; surpassing 120 receptions for the second time in the past three seasons. And Gronkowski merely had the best season ever for TE; setting records for yards and TD's.

It's not possible to be "too reliant" on what's extremely successful.

 

[ATippett56]

No, I'm just saying that 71% could be 75% if he didn't throw it to him in low percentage situations, i.e. someone draped on his back. I don't understand why that is so hard to fathom.

Have you become Edelman's new agent?

 

[JJDChE]

NE offense 2011:
3rd in scoring
2nd in yards
2nd in passing

You're right. No room for improvement there. :ugh:

I love that old saying: 'Go for the Bronze!'

 

[JJDChE]

Have you become Edelman's new agent?

What the heck does Edelman have to do with this?

 

[MoLewisrocks]

Again, I remember it differently.

I definitely remember the patriots started to reduce his role in that first game before he ever blew up and quit on them. That was the first year with Gronk and Ahern and the pats were trying to spread it around more.

Heck, Tate and Faulk each had 4 catches in that game. The rookie TE's only had one apiece but they were for 45 yards and for a TD. Welker was coming back from his ACL and they were likely testing him. He had 8 and 2 TD's. The chatter in the ensuing weeks was that they began phasing him out in camp but they had a few other things to check or verify before they began phasing him out of the game plan. Probably included checking out the potential availability of Branch whom they had hoped might be cut in Seattle, making sure Welker was good to go, and seeing how much the young TE's could be expected to contribute out of the gate. The plan to phase Moss out began to take shape in April when they landed the two TE's. Down the stretch in '09 Belichick was giving him some WTF looks as he'd jog off the field that were the first inkling he was second guessing himself. Brady and Welker spent more time that season talking about teamates who had to be mentally tough and push through whatever was ailing them in pressers than anything else. Then there was late gate and his bruised feelings and the off season in which he both talked about his concern over his future and publicly embarassed the team owner with his antics at the kickoff dinner.

Of course add that all up and there is no comparison to the way Welker has always conducted himself. So if they are phasing him out it would be the first time they ever did that to a player coming off an all pro season.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

You're right. No room for improvement there. :ugh:

I love that old saying: 'Go for the Bronze!'

You're just dug in now and intent on embarassing yourself. The number of players an elite QB tasked with winning will spread the ball around to is dependent on the number of playmakers a team is fielding around him. Brady had three to choose from and he completed roughly 70% of his passes to them and it doesn't get much better than that. If that isn't enough then the answer is to add more playmakers, not avoid targeting existing ones.