Quick-hit thoughts around NFL & Pats – New England Patriots Blog – ESPN Boston

Interesting from Reiss…

Can we also put one overblown Welker-based story to rest? When Welker’s snaps were reduced in the first two games of the 2012 season, it wasn’t because the Patriots were phasing him out of the offense. But somewhere along the line, this storyline grew so powerful that it almost became fact in the forum of public opinion. First, Welker admits he didn’t have a great training camp. Also, part of the idea all along was to take a long-range view and limit some of the early-season wear and tear on Welker, who had slowed at the end of the 2011 season in part because of a high snap total. So when offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels called a running play that required a receiver to make a crack block or something of the like, if Welker could be spared that physical grind, why not? The other part of it was that Julian Edelman had earned more time in the eyes of the staff; his speed had improved markedly from 2011 to 2012, which added a different element to the passing game. So yes, Welker’s playing time was reduced in the first two games (the Titans opener was a run-based plan), but only if you believe in conspiracy theories was it done in the context of phasing him out. The idea, first and foremost, was to preserve him for the long run.