Good stuff, Welker’s vital on the the most vital down…
Of the 150 passes Brady threw on third down in 2012, 43 were intended for Welker, 20 for Aaron Hernandez and 16 for Rob Gronkowski. Welker cleaned up with 30 receptions for 318 yards, while the tight end duo caught a combined 23 passes for 158 yards. The bigger disparity comes to light in high-pressure situations where the Patriots needed nine or more yards on third down. Welker made 14 catches for an average of 13.3 yards per reception in those situations, while Gronkowski and Hernandez had two catches for a combined 26 yards. It should then come as little surprise that Welker accounted for 21 of the 73 third-down conversions that Patriots had through the air in 2012. Gronkowski (11) and Hernandez (10) are next on the chart.