National Football League

Patriots miss Welker, have faith in Edelman

Published Jan. 6, 2010 12:43 a.m. ET

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Julian Edelman made an instant impression on running back Fred Taylor when the rookie and the 12-year veteran met at a Patriots preseason camp.

Taylor saw what many New England fans have seen since.

``I was excited,'' Taylor said Tuesday. ``I told a lot of my friends we have another young guy very similar to Wes Welker and you'll remember his name.''

Edelman might be tough to miss in Sunday's playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens. The former college quarterback listed at 6 feet but closer to Welker's height of 5-foot-9 is expected to fill the slot receiver spot left vacant by Welker's knee injury.

The Patriots practiced for the first time Tuesday since Welker was hurt on their first possession of Sunday's 34-27 loss to the Houston Texans. An MRI done Monday showed torn anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his left knee, NFL.com reported.

The Patriots refused comment on the results of the MRI. Welker's agent, David Dunn, did not return an e-mail seeking comment.

Welker and Edelman are similar in size and style - catch a short pass then make sharp cuts to avoid defenders.

But the seventh-round draft pick who didn't play wide receiver at Kent State has a very long way to go to come close to Welker's accomplishments.

Welker led the NFL with a team-record 123 catches this season despite missing two games and almost all of the regular-season finale. His 346 receptions over the last three seasons are the most in the league. At times when opponents double teamed him, they covered Randy Moss with just one defender.

``He's a great player and I know he'll work hard to get back as soon as he can,'' coach Bill Belichick said.

In training camp in August, Edelman tried to emulate Welker.

``People don't appreciate how much he knows the game,'' Edelman said then. ``He gets in and out of his cuts. That's what I'm trying to learn to do, trying to be like Wes.''

He got his first chance when Welker missed the second game of the season with an injury to his right knee. Edelman started and caught eight passes for 98 yards, but the Patriots lost to the New York Jets 16-9.

With Welker sidelined again the next week, Edelman had just three receptions for 20 yards, but the Patriots beat the Atlanta Falcons 26-10.

He goes into Sunday's game with 37 catches for 359 yards, but he's still a rookie. Playoff experience, though, is irrelevant at this stage, Belichick said.

``I don't think it matters,'' he said. ``In 2001, we didn't have any playoff experience and we were OK. We had playoff experiences in other years, in 2005 and 2006. That was probably as much playoff experience as any team in the league. I think what it comes down to is which team plays the best on Sunday.''

The Patriots won the championship in the 2001 season in their first Super Bowl appearance in five years. Tom Brady was named MVP of the game, a stunning climax to his first full pro season. They didn't get to the title game in the 2005 and 2006 seasons.

Taylor was a rookie in 1998 when he rushed for 1,223 yards and 14 touchdowns for Jacksonville. Then he ran for 162 yards and a touchdown in a 25-10 playoff win over the Patriots.

To him, playoff experience is overrated.

``It only really matters this one specific game,'' Taylor said. ``The only experience you're going to need is during that specific game, who you're playing, how well you know them? All that other stuff, I think, is just hype.''

There's plenty of that, especially with the focus on how the Patriots will manage without Welker.

On Tuesday, Belichick made it clear he was done talking about losing Welker and was focused on winning Sunday.

How will his absence impact the team?

``We're over and done with that. We're onto Baltimore,'' Belichick said.

What about the field surface in Houston, which Belichick said Monday on WEEI radio was ``one of the worst fields I've seen,'' with soft spots in some areas and firm spots in others?

``We're onto Baltimore,'' he said. ``We're done with the regular season. This is the postseason. We're onto Baltimore.''

Belichick's players echoed that.

Asked if he had spoken with Welker, the usually talkative Taylor paused.

``I don't want to get into the Wes stuff,'' he said, ``just because. But, yeah, his spirit's OK.''

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