Patriots WR Wes Welker caught only three passes (in five thrown to him) for 14 yards in the victory at Tennessee, his lowest numbers ever in a Patriot uniform in a game in which he has not been injured. OC Josh McDaniels said Tuesday Welker's numbers were a by-product of the game plan he installed.
"I think the game plan each week is really different. We definitely had some personnel groupings, I don't know how many exact number of snaps, but we played quite a few snaps of three tight ends in the game at the same time,'' McDaniels related.
`We kind of decide those on a week-to-week basis. Certainly Wes had some opportunities in the game and made the most on a few of those,'' the offensive coordinator went on. ``Then we had some other opportunities we didn't quite hit. Wes' role is the same as we've always gone. We'll go each week and try to do what we think is best to help us win."
Welker was on the field for only 43 of New England's 67 offensive plays, a stark contrast to tight ends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, who never missed a play. The other wide receiver, Brandon Lloyd was on the field for 57 plays.
Obviously, most Welker owners are worried after his lackluster Week 1 performance, but it may be that way all year for Welker and the other New England receivers. There may be games where the Patriots don't need to throw the ball enough to satisfy all the team's fantasy stars, and Week 1 was a good example.
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