Wes Welker Injury

HOUSTON - Wes Welker suffered a left knee injury yesterday that added a significant loss to yesterday’s 34-27 defeat to the Texans, one that will have serious repercussions for the Patriots [team stats]’ playoff hopes.

According to a league source, initial tests indicated the Pro Bowl wide receiver tore both his anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments, which is the same season-ending injury Tom Brady [stats] suffered in the opener last year. Welker is expected to undergo more tests today to confirm the initial finding.

Welker caught a pass from Brady on the team’s fourth offensive play, with 9:39 left in the first quarter. As he was making a cut from left to right to avoid Houston’s Bernard Pollard - the former Chiefs safety whose hit tore Brady’s knee - Welker’s knee gave way on the turf. Welker looked to be in considerable pain, as teammates immediately called for medical help.

While he did get to the bench under his own power, he was later carted to the locker room. Based on Welker’s reaction - he buried his face in a towel - and that of his family back home in Oklahoma City, the news didn’t appear very good from the get-go.

“We’re pretty shook up,” Shelley Welker, Wes’ mother, told the Herald after speaking with her son. “He is, too . . . I mean, it’s one of those where it’s a cut he makes all the time.”

The grass was said to be a bit soggy from rain during the week. Welker was on the move, and trying to gain more yards than the dozen he already had, but the knee collapsed during the cut.

All Patriots coach Bill Belichick would say following the game was that he didn’t have an update on Welker. His teammates, however, had plenty to say about their fallen teammate.

“(Losing Welker) hurts. It’s no secret how important Wes is to us,” said veteran defensive back Shawn Springs. “My prayers are with him. Wes is just one of those guys who want to be out there all the time, and we are going to miss him.”

As Welker sat for a brief time on the bench before being taken to the locker room, players went up to him, offering pats on teh back and words of encouragement. Springs and Jonathan Whilhite came over, as did Benjamin Watson [stats], Randy Moss and Brady once the offense was forced to punt.

“He means a lot to this offense. He makes a lot of plays for us, but it’s part of football,” Watson said. “It happens on every team. We’ve had guys go down and come back. It’s part of the deal.”

Rookie Julian Edelman, considered by many a mini-Welker, seentially took over as the slot receiver and had his finest day, catching a career-best 10 passes for 103 yards.

Along with Moss (five catches, 75 yards) and Edelman, the Pats also used Sam Aiken (two catches, 9 yards), Isaiah Stanback and Matthew Slater at wide receiver.

The one catch allowed Welker to close out the 2009 season wiht an NFL-best 123 receptions, despite missing two games to injury. The 123 grabs match Herman Moore (Detroit, 1995) for the second-most in a season in NFL history. His average of 8.8 receptions per game (123 receptions in 14 games) also ranks second in NFL history, behind the 8.9 receptions per game by Marvin Harrison in 2002.

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