FROM PATSIES TO POWERHOUSE
The incredible rise of the Patriots and the fans who stood by them
HOUSTON — Julian Edelman is built for the playoffs, even if he’s not built like a prototypical No. 1 receiver.
Tom Brady’s favorite target is as clutch as his quarterback and as menacing to defenses as a rabid squirrel trapped in their yoga pants. Edelman has been consistently dominant in the postseason since seizing a starting job in 2013, as he leads the NFL over that span with 75 receptions for 862 yards to go with three touchdowns in nine games.
Heck, that stretch carries so much weight that his 84 career postseason catches are the most in the league since 2008, which is even more remarkable considering he was drafted in 2009, served as a backup for three years and was on injured reserve in 2012.
Yet, Edelman is portrayed as the inferior No. 11 in the buildup to Super Bowl LI. Apparently, receivers must be manufactured like the Falcons’ 6-foot-3, 220-pound Julio Jones to earn the label of a No. 1.
“I think he is breaking a lot of the stereotypes,” Patriots special teams captain Matthew Slater said of Edelman. “Julian has really become one of the elite receivers in the National Football League. I don’t think you can argue that, and he does it in his own style, his own way. I couldn’t be more proud of the way he has played, the way he has led. He has really worked and willed himself to become the player that he is.”
In this postseason, Edelman has eight catches in each of the Patriots’ wins. He had 137 yards against the Texans and 118 against the Steelers, the two greatest outputs of his playoff career.
Even as the Pats reshaped their offense to feature Edelman in the absence of tight end Rob Gronkowski, defenses haven’t been able to contain the 5-foot-10, 200-pounder. “It’s about production and work ethic,” said Pats cornerback Logan Ryan, who has some epic battles with Edelman in practice. “I can tell you this, it doesn’t matter if you’re 6-foot-4 or 5-foot9. If you run routes well, if you compete hard, if you go get the ball when the ball is in the air, it has nothing to do with height. We’ve had 6-foot-4 guys come into here in camp and get killed. It has nothing to do with size. It has everything to do with your competitive edge and your willingness to get open and catch the ball.
“We know what makes Julian, Julian. He plays with a genuine chip on his shoulder. I love the guy. I love that he is on my team. I would hate to cover him in a game because that’s how he plays with a chip on his shoulder. And that’s not just on Sundays. That’s every day. He is not going to let you get the best of him throughout the week and then just go out there on Sunday and turn it on. He does it each and every day and has for many years. I think it’s better than ever at this point.”
Edelman’s most important performance came during the fourthquarter comeback against the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX. He caught a pair of third-down passes during the first touchdown drive, including a head-rattling 21-yarder on third-and-14.
And Edelman’s game-winning 3-yard touchdown catch occurred on an identical route that he ran a series earlier that Brady overthrew. The Patriots had the confidence Edelman could get open again under even more clutch circumstances.
“There’s a great trust we all have in him,” Pats receivers coach Chad O’Shea said, reminiscing about the route. “Obviously, the quarterback has a tremendous amount of trust in him. One of his greatest assets as a player is his work ethic. His work ethic has allowed him to take so many reps with Tom that there is a lot of confidence between those two, and there’s a lot of confidence we have in Julian to do the right thing regardless of the defense or who is covering him.
“The dependability that he has over the years is something that hasn’t come by accident. It’s come through a lot of hard work and a lot of investment with Tom.”
Since 2013, Edelman ranks fifth in the NFL in regular-season catches (356), 17th in yards (3,826) and tied for 33rd in touchdowns (20). But it’s his dependability that separates him. His 28 third-down catches this season were tied for the most among receivers, and he has 94 since 2013, the sixth most, and his catch percentage (69.6) was superior to the five players ahead of him.
Brady will frequently look toward Edelman tomorrow to dice up the Falcons defense.
“I’ve played with a lot of great receivers,” Brady said, “and Jules is right up there.”
‘We know what makes Julian, Julian. He plays with a genuine chip on his shoulder. I love the guy.’ — LOGAN RYAN on Julian Edelman