NFL

Patriots’ Welker ‘let my team down’

INDIANAPOLIS — The smile was gone from Wes Welker’s face along with the color.

The Patriots wide receiver looked crushed as he spoke to reporters following New England’s 21-17 loss to the Giants in Super Bowl XLVI. Welker had a chance to make a huge play with just more than four minutes left to play but could not come up with the catch.

“The ball’s right there,” Welker said. “I’ve just got to make the play. I’ve made it a thousand times in practice and everything else. It comes to the biggest moment of my life and [I] don’t come up with it. It’s discouraging.”

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The big moment came with 4:06 left to play and the Patriots holding a 17-15 lead. The Patriots had the ball at the Giants 44-yard line and faced a second-and-11. Welker broke free on the left side of the field near the 20 and quarterback Tom Brady floated a pass to him. The pass was far from perfect and forced Welker to adjust awkwardly. But it hit him in the hands and he dropped it.

After the game, Welker took responsibility for the drop and took it very hard. The Patriots would end up punting, which led to the Giants’ go-ahead drive.

“It hit me right in the hands,” Welker said. “I mean, it’s a play I never drop, I always make. Most critical situation and I let the team down.”

Brady described what he saw on the play.

“Wes was running down the field and it looked like they messed the coverage up a little bit and I threw it to him,” Brady said. “[Welker] went up to try and make it, as he always does, and we just couldn’t connect. He’s a hell of a player. I’ll keep throwing the ball to him for as long as I possibly can. He’s a phenomenal player and teammate and I love that guy.”

Welker’s fellow wide receiver Deion Branch said all of the Patriots could have played better.

“That one play wasn’t the game,” Branch said.