Julian Edelman (Courtesy of Beth_Hart on Flickr)
Is there anything this man can’t do on the football field? Julian Edelman is the ultimate football player. He does everything Belichick asks of him, and he does it all well. Just look at his last two games.
Let’s begin with the game against the Colts in which the Patriots won 59-24. His first score of the game came on a 68-yard punt return for a touchdown in the second quarter. He would later catch a touchdown pass from Tom Brady before finishing the game with five receptions for 58 yards. Oh and by the way, he had one rush for 47 yards on top of it. The man does it all, but he wasn’t done yet.
Edelman’s performance on Thanksgiving against the Jets was just as impressive. He recovered a fumble on a kickoff and returned it 22 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. Just under six minutes later, he caught a 56-yard touchdown pass from Brady to make the score 35-0 at the time. He would finish two catches for 64 yards.
How many NFL players can say they’ve caught a pass for a touchdown, returned a punt for a touchdown and returned a fumble for a touchdown? It’s unlikely that anyone in the NFL today has ever done it, let alone accomplish it over the course of two games. Edelman’s versatility is invaluable to the Patriots, so they better hope his concussion doesn’t sideline him for long.