Press Conference:
Wes Welker
interviewed by Michael E Lawrence
24/10/2009
 Mighty mite receiver Wes Welker is the oil that keeps the Patriots’ slick passing attack running smooth. With 259 career receptions in just two and a half seasons in New England, Welker is one of the busiest skill position players in the league.
His return to the lineup in week six after an injury-related absence powered the Patriots to a 59-0 drubbing of Tennessee, and the Patriots hope for more of the same in Wembley. He answered questions posed by a posse of media types including the Diner at length on Friday.
Q. How does it feel to have Tom Brady back this season?
I feel really good about it, especially with the way he played last week. It’s great to have our leader back like that, and our best player too. It makes a big difference getting to work with him again; getting everything together in the passing game has been great and something we’ve been missing.
Q. Does it feel good to have a big win like you did last week?
Absolutely. Any time you can go out there and score points like we did, and the defense play like they did especially in those conditions that’s definitely a positive and something we want to do on a weekly basis!
Q. How are you going to beat the Buccaneers on Sunday?
 Just play well go out there, execute and focus in, make plays when we need to. It comes down to the preparation we put in beforehand. It’s what we’ve been doing the past few days and today, and we’re looking forward to a challenge on Sunday.
Q. Will jet lag be a factor on Sunday?
You know, I don’t think so. Once we get the adrenaline going and as long as we make sure we rest up beforehand we’ll be ok.
Q. Did the team make any special preparations for flying this far east?
Not really coach talked to some experts about how to go about it, making sure you get a little sleep on the plane etc. For the most part guys did that and then once we got here we got a little nap in and now we’re here, ready to practice. And I’ve never even seen a stadium like this (Oval cricket ground), this is kind of crazy. There’s a lot of ground to cover round here, it’s definitely very unique.
Q. You’re big favourites for Sunday but Wembley games are traditionally quite close do you think this one will be a close one?
It very well could be, games in the NFL are that way. Every team’s really good and any team can win in any week, so you just gotta make sure that you’re going out there and giving everything you’ve got, make sure you’re ready to go.
Q. What about the receiver question marks with Julian Edelman injured?
 I have no idea, you’d have to ask coach about that but whoever’s in there, they need to make sure they’re stepping up and doing the right things out there.
Q. Are you back in the flow after your own injury?
I am, I am absolutely. I’ve had a little bit of bad luck in terms of that to start the season but it’s feeling better each day. I definitely feel much better than what I have the first quarter of the season.
Q. The Patriots are clearly improving – do you think you can get back to the level of play you were at in 2007?
We hope so. That’s what we’re always striving for. We’re just trying to get better each and every day and we’re always striving to do great things out there.
Q. You’re a team that expressly prepares one-week-a-time and that relies on rhythm and routine to get ready for games – does an experience like this disrupt that rhythm?
 A little bit yes, but we still try and keep a routine to it too – the goal is to keep it the same as usual as much as we can. But we’re a team that has gone on long trips like this – including the Super Bowl a couple of years ago – and we kind of get used to it being different like that, so we just gotta keep preparing and concentrating on what we have to do to win.
Q. Do you know much about Wembley stadium?
Not really I know the stadium’s pretty big, I know the grass is a little bit thicker, that there won’t be any wind because of the way the roof is but other than that not too much!
Q. And the weather’s good
I know, it’s nice weather. Any time I’ve watched the game in years past it’s been raining. We feel lucky to be out here with some nice weather.
|
