Welker dropped a key second-down pass with four minutes left in the fourth quarter, and he was in tears after the defeat, putting the blame solely on himself.
"It comes to the biggest moment of my life, and [I] don't come up with it," Welker said. "It's discouraging."
Welker was uncovered in the left seam, and he could have hauled in a reception for about 25-30 yards, depending on how he came down with it. But the throw was over his left shoulder, forcing Welker to turn around and leap for a ball that could have been placed more accurately. However, if quarterback Tom Brady led Welker toward the middle of the field, Welker could have been put into a more dangerous situation with the safety closing over the top.
It's a tricky situation for each player. On one hand, Welker has caught more passes than anyone in the NFL over the last five seasons, and it's a catch he should have made. On the other, it still would have earned points in terms of the degree of difficulty.
Either way, the next play was an incompletion, and the Patriots had to punt. Rather than setting themselves up in the red zone with a running clock and a 17-15 lead, the Patriots sent it back to Giants quarterback Eli Manning, who orchestrated his second game-winning drive in as many Super Bowl appearances.
Regardless of what Welker said, the drop wasn't the sole reason the Patriots lost the Super Bowl. There were plenty of other plays they failed to make, but the wide receiver put his at the top of the list.
"It's one of those plays I've made a thousand times," Welker said. "Just didn't make it."
Have a question for Jeff Howe? Send it to him via Twitter at @jeffphowe or send it here. He will pick a few questions to answer every week for his mailbag.
