Patriots receiver Wes Welker is making a lot of opposing defenses look silly this season. Today it was the Oakland Raiders’ turn.
Welker caught nine passes for 158 yards and a touchdown Sunday as the Patriots’ cruised to a 31-19 win, staying on pace to break the NFL records for catches and yards in a season.
Through four games this season, Welker has topped 150 receiving yards three times. To put that in perspective, Randy Moss topped 150 receiving yards twice in 52 games as a Patriot.
Welker was the undisputed star of the show, but the Patriots’ offense also got solid performances from running backs Stevan Ridley (97 yards) and BenJarvus Green-Ellis (75 yards), each of whom scored a touchdown.
The game’s comic relief was supplied by the sight of the Patriots’ enormous defensive tackle Vince Wilfork running with the ball in his hands after an interception. Wilfork now has two interceptions in the last three weeks after having zero in his first seven NFL seasons.
The loss drops the Raiders to 2-2, a game behind the Chargers in the AFC West. The Patriots improve to 3-1, and they’re now back into a tie with the team that beat them last week, the Buffalo Bills (with the Jets trying to match them tonight). Despite that loss, the Patriots have to be considered the favorites in the AFC East right now -- as long as they have Welker.
