Patriot Games: Is New England's Most Important Weapon Wes Welker or Randy Moss?

Since 2007, whether the title has been warranted or not, the New England Patriots offense has been declared one of, if not the, most prolific offensive units in the NFL.

And ever since the recognition came about, Patriots fans and others alike have always asked the question: Who's more important to the offense, Randy Moss, the prolific deep threat, or Wes Welker, the under-appreciated slot man who can turn a five-yard catch into a 12-yard gain with regularity?

Both Moss and Welker were acquired by Bill Belichick prior to the 2007 season. Moss came to New England in a trade with Oakland, and Welker was shipped north from Miami in a trade.

So far, both have proved to be invaluable to the New England offense, with Moss providing the awe-inspiring fireworks, and Welker acting as the reliable safety valve for quarterbacks Tom Brady and Matt Cassel (who filled in for Brady in 2008 when the star QB went down with a season ending knee injury) to lean on.

In short, they are both critical to the overall success and production of the New England offense.

But who's more important?

Before any argument is laid out for either player, it is important to recognize that neither receiver would be experiencing this level of success without the other.

If Welker remained in Florida, Moss would be consistently double-teamed over the top, reducing his number of opportunities to catch deep balls. In 2007, he likely wouldn't have set the NFL single-season record for touchdown receptions.

Likewise, if Moss was still stuck in Oakland, Welker would be an average slot receiver. Moss spreads the field, drawing defenders deep, as the defense always has to be concerned about the deep ball that Moss generally catches so well.

This opens up the middle of the field for Welker to roam around, and provides him with a lot of single coverage by linebackers and nickel backs -- matchups that he can usually exploit.

Because of this, some people may deem this argument one that is nearly impossible to sort out, as these two players essentially need one another.

However, based on the offensive production the Patriots have had the past couple of weeks, it has become clearer which one of these talented receivers has more of an impact on the offense.

The slot man, Wes Welker, has proved that he is indeed the most important offensive weapon for Brady.

Welker, who has been hobbled by a knee injury so far this season and missed the Week 2 showdown with the New York Jets, didn't even have to be on the field to make his case. His absence from the field last week exposed just how much Brady and the Patriots offense need his presence to succeed.

Moss will always have more highlights, touchdowns, and total yardage than Welker. That's just the nature of Moss' job description. Primarily, Moss needs to get downfield, create matchup problems for the defense, and catch deep balls, using his speed and jumping ability to snag balls out of the sky.

This is very important to the offense. Moss, when he is healthy and going at full speed, is a nightmare for defenses to handle, as he is very difficult to defend one on one (although Darrelle Revis this past week proved that it is not impossible).

However, without Welker, the New England offense just doesn't click.

This fact was on display during Week 2 against the Jets, as Brady struggled mightily to connect with his receivers on multiple occasions, mostly due to the Jets pass rush and some timing issues that Brady is currently experiencing due to a combination of recovering from his knee injury and trying to acclimate himself with several new receivers.

When a play breaks down, Welker is the guy that Brady immediately looks to for a bail-out.

This past week, Brady did not have that bail out. Granted, for a rookie who is trying to learn a new position, wideout Julian Edelman played well in his first NFL game. But it was still clear that Brady needed Welker. The timing with Edelman just isn't there yet.

One area of concern with the Patriots' offense lies on the offensive line, where tackles Nick Kaczur and Matt Light routinely struggle with speed rushers off the edge and speedy linebackers blitzing from the outside.

The Jets brought some heavy pressure throughout the game last week, and they were getting to Brady.

When an issue like this occurs, Welker becomes even more indispensable.

When Brady doesn't have time to stand in the pocket and wait for Moss or Joey Galloway (another receiver he seems to be having difficulty getting in sync with) to get down field and get open, he will immediately look for Welker.

Without Welker in the fold last week, and with a talented yet very inexperienced receiver acting in his place, Brady was forced to rush throws countless times. Edelman performed well, snagging eight balls for 98 yards.

However, had Welker been in the game and playing at full speed, those numbers for the slot receiver likely would have been higher.

Welker's value to the offense was also on display last season, after Brady went down with that knee injury and the inexperienced and raw Cassel was forced to step in and play for Brady immediately.

Cassel, a quarterback who had not started a game since his senior year in high school, needed as much help as he could get, particularly in the beginning of the season when he was trying to get acclimated to the offense and the speed of an NFL game.

For a majority of the first half of the season, it was clear who Cassel trusted most and relied on to move the ball down the field.

Through his first 11 games in the 2008 season, Welker recorded at least six receptions, which broke Jimmy Smith's record of eight games with the Jacksonville Jaguars back in 2001. Through Week Eight, he was averaging seven receptions per game.

Cassel could have looked Moss' way on multiple occasions, however, it was clear that Welker was his safety valve and Cassel was looking Welker's way on most plays, particularly early in the season, when he needed the most help.

As the season progressed, Cassel continued to grow in the offense, and Moss began to get more touches as Cassel became more comfortable throwing the deep ball. However, Welker still got his touches.

Again, this is not to say that Welker is more talented than Moss. There are few players that are as physically gifted as Randy Moss. In addition, Welker would probably not be able to have the impact that he has had without Moss stretching the field.

However, when push comes to shove and the Patriots need a quick reception to get a first down or to avoid a sack, which receiver does quarterback Tom Brady look for?

It's not Moss, despite his immense talent.

Without Welker, the New England Patriots offense sputters. It was on clear display this past week, and if Welker is not able to shake his knee issues, Patriots fans everywhere should be concerned about the state of New England's offense and its ability to put points up on the board.