- I don't know how Wes Welker did what he did in Seattle. I mean this in a very positive way: In a business with a lot of interesting physical specimens, Welker is a freak of nature. Welker took the hit of a career last week against Pittsburgh across the middle, getting blown up by safety Ryan Clark on a vicious, but clean, hit. I wondered all week how Welker would respond. Would he miss any time? Call in sick? Beg his mother not to make him ever go out there again?
So he went to Seattle, caught 12 balls for 134 yards, added a two-point conversion catch on the decisive touchdown, and helped the Patriots come back to beat Seattle 24-21. Playing without Tom Brady, Welker has become Matt Cassel's ultimate security blanket and threatens to lead the NFL in receptions for the second-straight year. With 96 catches, he's four ahead of Houston's Andre Johnson with three games to play. A couple of weeks ago, I was talking with Texas Tech coach Mike Leach, who coached Welker in college. "He's indestructible,'' Leach said. Couldn't have said it better. I hope the Patriots realize Welker's incredible value.