FOXBORO, Mass. — Try not to panic while reading the following sentence.
Julian Edelman was spotted heading into the Gillette Stadium X-ray room Saturday night despite finishing the New England Patriots’ 27-20 divisional-round win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Edelman broke his foot in the Patriots’ Week 10 win over the New York Giants and didn’t return until the playoff matchup with the Chiefs.
Edelman was coy when asked about any medical attention he received after the game, however. Edelman first said he didn’t need X-rays after the game, but when asked later, he said: “We really can’t talk about that stuff. We’re not allowed to talk about injuries. Ask Coach.”
Perhaps he did go for X-rays as a precautionary measure, but it seems he heard positive news.
“Everyone’s sore,” Edelman said. “I finished the game, and I feel good enough to prepare next week, so if it goes, it goes.”
Edelman caught 10 passes for 100 yards on 16 targets. He also made a heads-up play to clinch the game with 1:08 remaining in the fourth quarter when he caught a pass that deflected off Chiefs pass rusher Tamba Hali’s hand on second-and-12 for a first down.
“Hey, sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good,” Edelman said.
Edelman had some issues catching the ball early in the game and was tough on himself, despite the mostly impressive performance.
“I dropped some balls that I should have — trying to do stuff, trying to make a move before I caught it,” Edelman said. “I just had to slow down and get back to the fundamentals, and I’ll be working those out this week.”
Perhaps Edelman was just too excited to be back on the field after missing nine weeks.
“Definitely had some nerves going,” Edelman said. “It’s a playoff game, and I haven’t played in a while. You definitely got — you had little nerves in the stomachs, little butterflies. I was like a kid waiting to open up presents on Christmas or Hanukkah.”
Thumbnail photo via Robert Deutsch/USA TODAY Sports Images
