Wes Welker pumped up for Jets rivalry

FOXBORO, Mass. -- Containing slot receiver Wes Welker was one of the major keys to the Jets' divisional playoff win over the Patriots last January at Gillette Stadium. But in truth, Welker helped stop himself with an assist from New England coach Bill Belichick.

Before the game, Welker played footsie with the media, giving an interview in which he made several coy allusions to reports that Jets coach Rex Ryan and his wife had posted a foot-fetish video on the Internet. Belichick parked Welker on the bench for the first series of what became a 28-21 Pats loss, and the receiver finished with five catches (only two in the first three quarters) for 57 yards and no touchdowns.

Asked Friday if his benching contributed to the Patriots' slow start on an opening drive that ended in an interception, Welker said, "Oh, I don't know. It doesn't really matter at this point. We've kind of moved on from that game and everything that happened, and we're just looking forward to this Sunday. Very excited. It's a rivalry game. The Jets are always fun to play."

Welker has bounced back from that benching with an incredibly hot start this season, catching 40 passes for 616 yards and five touchdowns in four games, a pace that would result in NFL single-season records for catches and yards if he can maintain it. He is averaging 15.4 yards per catch, up from his career average of 10.7 entering this season.

Belichick noted that Welker always has been productive, averaging 108 catches in his previous four Patriots seasons, and he is much healthier than last year, when he was coming off reconstructive knee surgery. "I don't think it's anything that's been planned, or I don't think he's running routes differently or eating more broccoli or anything," Belichick said. "I think some of that, it just kind of happens."

One reason it happens is because of the chemistry Welker has developed with quarterback Tom Brady, including their offseason workouts. Brady complimented the 5-9, 185-pound Welker for his intelligence and toughness and explained, "He understands the concepts of the routes, the thinking behind the routes. If he gets a good matchup, he has very good quickness and a very good burst of speed to be able to get open since the day he got here."

Except for a road loss to the Patriots in 2009 in which Welker caught 15 passes for 192 yards, Ryan's defense has held him below 100 yards in three other meetings (Welker missed one Jets game with an injury). But the importance of stopping him Sunday is such that Ryan has hinted he might put Pro Bowl cornerback Darrelle Revis over the Patriots' slot receiver.

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Welker made it clear he's prepared to see Revis. "I think we cut out [videotape of] about 600 snaps between last year and this year where he's actually been in the slot," Welker said. "I don't think you'll see anything different from what they do . . . There's only so many things they can do. We have to be ready for everything."