adam schefter reports initial tests show Welker tore ACL + MCL, will get more tests tmrw (Monday)

so if true, same injury as what Brady suffered in '08 AND tackled by the exact same guy (Bernard Pollard)....

if Pats could win 3 SB's w/ 3rd and 4th string receivers (by today's team standards), I think they should still be OK

No matter who wins the Bengals-Jets game tonight, we're hosting the Ravens in the first round.

we should be favs against the ravens

I'd be calling for the pitchforks and torches, but Welker got injured when he planted his foot. Pollard barely touched him and only got credit for the tackle because he happened to be closest to Welker and touched him when he went down.

if pats could get off the field on 3rd down, generate pressure on the quarterback or show half the mental toughness of any of those SB teams you would be right

I was actually fairly optimistic about the Pats' playoff and SB chances prior to this game, but the Welker injury + big HOU comeback has me in a depressed state currently.

Brady is currently playing with 3 broken ribs (that apparently he suffered in the preseason against the Redskins?) and a fractured ring finger

Not that I'm giving up all hopes for this season, but looking ahead to next season:

1. seems very likely no Welker for all of next season assuming he has a torn ACL + MCL correct?

2. Moss will be 33 years old... but then again Marvin Harrison was very effective until like 35-36

3. probability Pats sign Peppers, who everyone was claiming was going to come to the Pats this last summer until he was franchise tagged by the Panthers?

I basically want to see what (major) moves if any Bill pulls this offseason with so many draft picks at his disposal to use - is New England ever going to draft a complete stud? what about trade for one?

only other thing I can think of is the division is obv getting tougher - Jets have an amazing D and are only going to get better on O, whereas Dolphins are ALWAYS a tough matchup for the Pats, and if Shanny or Cowher or whomever goes to the Bills....

Calling Goodie!

Here is my dream playoff scenario.

1. We beat the Ravens at home, not a stretch as we are 4 point favorites.
2. The Jets fresh off manhandling the Bengals who admittedly weren't trying pull the upset as the 2 points dogs, certainly not out of the question.
3. We travel to San Diego and beat the Chargers since we always beat them in post season and Norv can't win in post season.
4. Jets match Revis against Wayne and he shuts him down, the others concentrate on Clark and the Jets stout defense stymies their running game and somehow the jets offense generates enough points to pull the big upset with Indy's strategy of backing off late in the season backfiirng as they lose all their momentum.
5. This all culminates in the dream AFC matchup of the Jets vs the Patriots at Gillette, a game with so much emotion that the Patriots simply could not lose.
6. Super Bowl - Dream matchup of America's teams Dallas Cowboys vs. New England Patriots. I will handicap that game lol when we get there.

FYP man

I like it, Toro, good work. I don't know what I would do with myself if there was an AFC championship game between the Pats and Jets. I'd be bouncing off the walls. This scenerio is also ideal because me and my brother have been on the waiting list for season tickets for 10 years and get the inside track on playoff tickets. I would LOVE to be at that game.

Let's make it happen.

Oh, and just because I have to put a positive spin on everything that happens with this team, concerning Welker:

Of course it's not good but I think Edelman did a pretty good job filling in when Welker was hurt earlier in the year and it's now 13 weeks later so Edelman has had all of that time to improve and work with Brady in practice and in games. I think he may surprise some folks with how well he does.

dreamers itt

We were dreamers in 01 too and when the Sox were down 0-3 to the Yankees in 04.

And both of those situations were much worse then the current situation that the Pats find themselves in.

You're not very observant. I said my post was my dream playoff scenario. But dreams can and do come true, you know.

no it was more than the playoff scenario statement. But Aerosmith did say, "DreamOn"

Welker apparently done for all of 2010 as well, srsly? FOL

even if its pretty bad, I would think he would still be back by early November, I mean, that's a good solid 9-10 months from right now depending on when he has surgery, etc.

Brady had some sort of infection following his surgery, and he managed to make it onto the field in 11 months. Dunno exactly how Welker's specific injury and physique make things different.

Where is KBZ in our time of need?

some good articles recently:

Randy still considered the premier receiver in the league by his peers: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_yl...yhoo&type=lgns

Football Outsiders ranks Brady as the no. 1 QB this past season : http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/new-e...ady-ranks-no-1

Would love to see it but just don't see how in the world this team goes to SD and beats them.

Can't compare it to a few yrs ago when they did. Pats were younger, much tougher on D, and the chargers have grown up considerably and have put their postseason flame jobs behind them. Would LOVE to see it but I'm afraid we are dreaming. This team just can't stop anyone when it matters, evidenced by the colossal flame jobs this season (IND, HOU, NO). Their is just no D

There, not their, lol

It is because the media loves Brady.

Yep, the media lovefest of Brady is the reason the completely objective formula spit out Brady as being the best QB. God you are such a failure.

.

You really can't reference the Indy loss as evidence that this team can't stop anyone when it matters. That game was all but won and if that fourth quarter was played 100 times, the Patriots would win 95 of them. It was a bit of a freak occurence that they lost that game. So many wierd things had to happen.

This IMO is an argument that he shouldn't be #1.