Welker's sure hands aren't so sure this season.
FOXBOROUGH – Wes Welker has a reputation for having steady hands that can reel in any ball that ends up within his radius.
The credibility of that claim came into question after last season’s infamous dropped pass/bad pass in the Super Bowl, and whatever credence it continued to hold is quickly evaporating.
At times, Welker has had trouble holding onto the ball this season, and those issues continued during Sunday’s 37-31 win over the Bills when he let two passes drop to the turf.
According to ProFootballFocus.com, Welker had six drops entering action. The additional two puts him in a temporary tie for the league lead, however it should be noted that his drop ratio (number of drops per catchable passes) places him about 20th in the league among wide receivers.
“We left a lot of plays out there that we need to make,” Welker said. “I think that starts with myself.
The first drop came on a seam route on the opening drive when he got behind the Bills secondary and appeared destined to score, but the ball bounced off his fingertips. The second one came in the second half when he slid across the turf after a low thrown ball.
Welker blamed the sun for his first drop.
“Yeah just a little bit, but it’s still a play that I need t make and be more consistent,” Welker said of the sun. “It’s something I have to work on.”
Even with the drops, Welker led the Patriots with six catches for 74 yards. He now has 60 catches for 736 yards and two touchdowns.