The New England Patriots will be without their best wide receiver when they face the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1.
There’s no denying that the New England Patriots are a tough out no matter what players they might lost or injuries they might suffer. Head coach Bill Belichick always finds a way to win and create match-up problems even when losing star players like tight end Rob Gronkowski. His latest test will be changing the offense up after losing wide receiver Julian Edelman for the year due to a torn ACL.
Patriots WR Julian Edelman tore his ACL, as @AlbertBreer reported. Team's worst fears confirmed.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 26, 2017
Edelman was injured against the Detroit Lions on Friday during the team’s third preseason game. Edelman has been Tom Brady’s top target for some time, even with Gronk around. Last season, he had 98 catches for 1,106 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Fortunately for the Pats, Belichick also brought in top-tier wide receiver Brandin Cooks this offseason and Gronk will also be back healthy, so the Patriots still have one of the top offensive combos in the league, even after losing Edelman. That said, there will be a period of adjustment for the Patriots and perhaps it’s something the Kansas City Chiefs can take advantage of when they visit Foxboro in Week 1 in the season-opening game on September 7.
As for Belichick’s ability to adjust, the Chiefs know well how this works. When Tom Brady went down for a full season, former Patriots back-up QB Matt Cassel stepped up and looked solid in relief of Brady. Several years later, Chiefs fans would love to forget Cassel was ever their starting quarterback for so many years after Scott Pioli invested in him.