I have been a diehard Patriots fan my entire life.† I went to my first game when I was five, I schedule my flights to and from Wooster around when the Patriots are on TV, and am ìsick” whenever I have a meeting on a Sunday during their game.† I have sat in 15 below zero weather to watch them beat the Colts in the playoffs, and have missed school to watch their Super Bowl victory parades.† And I knew from the second that Wes Welker hurt his knee against the Houston Texans in Week 17 that the Patriots playoff chances were finished.
It was a basic, straightforward plan for head coach Bill Belichick ó sit your starters in the last game, be rested for the playoffs a week later.† The team had already been riddled with injuries over the course of the season (Vince Wilforkís foot, Ty Warrenís ankle, Fred Taylorís ankle, Nick Kaczurís shoulder and Tom Bradyís everything). They had no real need to start their top guys in the game against the Texans.† Let Houston win, and let them have a shot at the playoffs for the first time in their franchiseís history.
Instead, on the first pass to Welker in the game, he tears his ACL and MCL, and is scheduled to be out of commission for a minimum of six months.
First, letís look at the immediate problems with this situation ó the Patriots are without their best receiver, who essentially acted as their running game, and arguably one of the toughest players to tackle in the entire NFL.† Aside from him and Randy Moss, the Patriots are thinner at WR than the models in a Victoriaís Secret catalogue.† They were forced to turn to Julian Edelman, a ìwide receiver” (he played quarterback at Kent State University and was listed as the Patriotsí third string quarterback for the majority of the season) who nearly spent his entire rookie campaign playing with a broken forearm.
Next is the problem with the future. Welker, a college walk-on and NFL journeyman before arriving with the Patriots, will probably never be the same receiver he was when he was setting team records and going to Pro Bowls.† Knee injuries can ruin careers.† Look at Carson Palmer, who has never fully returned to his All-Pro form after being speared in the knee by the Steelersí Kimo Von Oelhoffen, or most notably Joe Theismann, a league MVP and Super Bowl champion, never played another down after having his legs disassembled by Giantsí legend, and the true LT, Lawrence Taylor.
Other injuries have been ravaging teams already in this set of playoffs ó Chad Ochocinco hurt his ankle in the last week of the season and was not the same explosive receiver he had been in the Bengalsí 24 – 14 loss to the Jets.† The Arizona Cardinals were lucky to escape from the Green Bay Packers with a thrilling 51 – 45 overtime win despite playing without their No. 2 wide receiver (Anquan Boldin), who is most likely out for the entire postseason with multiple injuries to his left leg suffered after the Cardinals had clinched a playoff spot.
To wrap it up, the debate to sit or start your players leading into the playoffs is always a heated one.† But it is easier to start rusty and get better than to not play at all.