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New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady spent time with teammate Wes Welker last weekend at the Kentucky Derby. Between the schmoozing and excitement of horse racing, Brady should have given his top receiver a subtle message and said, "Buddy, it's time to get back to work."

There is one thing for certain about the Patriots: You do not fight the machine. Welker is facing an uphill battle he cannot win. Many have tried before him and failed. Welker is not the exception.

Welker has yet to sign his franchise tender and hasn't decided how long he's going to protest New England's one-year, $9.5 million offer. The potential distraction has been held to a minimum thus far. But it would only grow stronger if Welker continues to skip New England's offseason program.

The Patriots' mandatory minicamp is scheduled for June 12. The best advice is for Welker to have his mind made up by that time. Missing New England's current voluntary program is not a big thing. But if Welker also chooses to skip the Patriots' three-day veteran minicamp, that is when he's hurting the team in the eyes of the coaching staff.

At that point the gloves may come off with the Patriots -- and Welker doesn't want that.

New England is emotionless and shrewd in negotiations. Just ask three-time Super Bowl winner Willie McGinest, who apparently still carries some level of bitterness about how he was handled by the Patriots at the end of his career. McGinest recently got into a Twitter spat with Welker about his contract situation and delivered this stern message.

"We're all expendable at Patriot Place," McGinest tweeted to Welker.

McGinest is right. NFL players in general are expendable, but even more so in New England.

Welker needs to be more mindful of how Patriots players often are treated like replaceable and interchangeable parts. It happened to McGinest, who spent the final three years of his career with the struggling Cleveland Browns. It happened to Richard Seymour, who was great for eight seasons with the Patriots and suddenly shipped to the Oakland Raiders for a first-round draft pick. The Patriots also traded future Hall of Fame receiver Randy Moss to the Minnesota Vikings when Moss grew unhappy about his contract.

Welker should know better. No one player is above the team in New England. That is the Patriot Way.

This is not to say Welker hasn't worked hard and doesn't have a point about long-term security. This is more about wisely navigating the cruel business side of the NFL. It's all about leverage. Welker has little. New England has plenty. Sometimes it's best to accept your fate and move forward.

Welker remains steadfast in shedding the franchise tag for a long-term contract.

"Through my body of work, through the past five years, I think what I've done I've earned a long-term deal,” Welker recently told ESPN Boston Radio. "It's what I am looking for and what I want. Hopefully that's the case and hopefully we come to something where we can make that happen."

Do not think for one second that New England is not prepared for the worst. All the Patriots have done this offseason is sign wide receivers.

New England signed receivers Brandon Lloyd, Jabar Gaffney, Anthony Gonzalez and Donte’ Stallworth in free agency. All are productive veterans who have a chance to add something to the offense. The Patriots also re-signed veteran Deion Branch, backup Matthew Slater, and drafted rookie receiver Jeremy Ebert. Chad Ochocinco and Julian Edelman also remain on the roster.

New England will have an elite passing game next season with or without Welker.

If Welker decides to stage a lengthy holdout, Lloyd and Gaffney would be the starters, while Branch, Gonzalez, Stallworth and Ochocinco compete in training camp for backup roles. New England also runs a lot of two tight-end sets with Pro Bowler Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. This is still a very deep and talented group of targets for Brady, who also has a knack for making everyone around him a couple of notches better.

Despite 122 receptions and 1,569 yards last year, the Patriots have found a way to make Welker replaceable. But that's only if Welker chooses to be and doesn't sign his franchise tender.

There's always a chance the Patriots could have a change of heart between now and August. New England has the salary-cap room to extend the 31-year-old Welker and give him the long-term security he's seeking. But it's going to be on the Patriots' terms, not Welker's.

The next move should be the best move by Welker. He should sign the franchise tag, take the $9.5 million and see if anything changes over the next several months at Patriot Place.

Something about the Washington Redskins' signings of wide receivers Pierre Garcon and Josh Morgan struck me earlier in the week, so I went back to the transcript of my interview with Mike Shanahan from December and found this quote about what he was looking for in a wide receiver:

"We've got to get a wide receiver that's a playmaker. You've got to have a No. 1, no question about it. We have [Santana] Moss and [Jabar] Gaffney, who's going to be right at 1,000 yards, but you're still looking for that guy that can go the distance and make plays, running the ball on a short shallow cross and go the distance. Everybody's looking for that."

Garcon has not, to this point in his career, been a No. 1. But he's young enough that the Redskins hope he can be. And he brings something to the table that touches on the latter part of that quote. He averaged 5.2 yards after the catch in 2011, and has averaged 5.1 yards after the catch for his career. Morgan averaged 6.8 yards after the catch on his mere 15 receptions in 2011, and his career average is 5.7.

Those are strong numbers, especially compared to the 4.4 YAC average Moss put up last season (down a full yard from his 2010 number) and Gaffney's 2.9. Shanahan's looking for receivers who can help out his rookie quarterback, Robert Griffin III, by making plays when they get the ball in their hands. And in Garcon and Morgan, he sees a couple such guys.

Eddie Royal, whom the Redskins pursued before he agreed to terms with the Chargers on Thursday night, doesn't exactly fit the profile. He was a 3.7 YAC guy on his 19 catches in 2011, and is 4.7 for his career. But the Redskins believed he was a guy who could man the slot position for them and help in the return game. Moss remains on the roster for now and can work the slot, but if the Redskins are looking to get younger and are in the market for another wide receiver after Royal jilted them, you might want to look at some of the YAC numbers of the remaining available free agents to determine possible targets.

Arizona's Early Doucet averaged 6.4 yards after the catch in 2011. New England's Deion Branch averaged 6.5. Cincinnati's Jerome Simpson averaged 5.4. These aren't names that will fire up the season-ticket phone lines, but Shanahan clearly has specific reasons he targets certain free agents, and this year that YAC number seems to be a big factor for him with wide receivers.

Wide receivers Vincent Jackson, Pierre Garcon, Reggie Wayne, Robert Meachem, Eddie Royal, Laurent Robinson, Josh Morgan, Eric Weems and Harry Douglas have found new homes after hitting the NFL's free-agent market.

Franchise tags essentially removed from consideration Dwayne Bowe, Wes Welker and DeSean Jackson.

Others, such as Marques Colston, re-signed before free agency.

Teams still searching for help at the position -- that would be pretty much everyone but Seattle in the NFC West -- are left with a picked-over group of free agents.

Jerome Simpson, Burress, Brandon Lloyd, Legedu Naanee, Devin Aromashodu, Roy Williams, Mario Manningham and Early Doucet are the only ones remaining to have played at least half of their team's offensive snaps during the 2011 season.

As the chart shows, Burress was particularly effective in the red zone for the New York Jets. He converted first downs 38 times in 45 receptions for the third-highest percentage among wide receivers with at least 40 receptions, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Burress is also up there in age. He's among 12 available wideouts already in their 30s: Hines Ward (36), Burress (34), T.J. Houshmandzadeh (34), Kevin Curtis (33), Patrick Crayton (32), Deion Branch (32), Rashied Davis (32), Donte Stallworth (31), Jerheme Urban (31), Bryant Johnson (31), Lloyd (30) and Williams (30).

Of them, Lloyd has visited the San Francisco 49ers.

Nine more are 29 years old: Greg Camarillo, Keary Colbert, Mark Clayton, Jerricho Cotchery, Roscoe Parrish, Michael Clayton, Courtney Roby, Michael Spurlock and Braylon Edwards.

Still interested?

OK, let's check out 18 others, all younger than 29: David Anderson, Legedu Naanee, Devin Aroshamodu, Donnie Avery, Anthony Gonzalez, Maurice Stovall, Derek Hagan, Mike Sims-Walker, Ted Ginn Jr., Andre Caldwell, Steve Smith, Doucet, Brett Swain, Chaz Schilens, Simpson, Manningham, Devin Thomas and Kevin Ogletree.

Schilens visited Arizona and San Francisco. Manningham visited the 49ers and the St. Louis Rams.

I've also broken down the available wideouts by drafted round:

• First: Williams, Burress, Ginn, Stallworth, both Claytons, Johnson, Gonzalez and Edwards
• Second: Avery, Thomas, Simpson, Smith, Parrish, Branch, Colbert
• Third: Roby, Doucet, Hagan, Stovall, Manningham, Caldwell, Curtis, Sims-Walker, Ward
• Fourth: Cotchery, Lloyd
• Fifth: Legedu Naanee
• Sixth: none
• Seventh: Houshmandzadeh, Crayton, Schilens, Aromashodu, Anderson, Swain
• Undrafted: Davis, Urban, Camarillo, Spurlock, Ogletree

Only a handful of the available receivers project as starters. None would qualify as an outright game-breaker.

The Rams in particular need playmakers, but in looking at what is available, how many would qualify as dramatically better than what they already have? Austin Pettis, Brandon Gibson, Danario Alexander, Dominique Curry, Greg Salas and restricted free agent Danny Amendola are their current wideouts.

The Cleveland Browns need a No. 1 wide receiver. The Cincinnati Bengals need a No. 2 one. And the Baltimore Ravens need a No. 3 target.

But all three did nothing to address these voids as the deep free-agent pool for wide receivers quickly evaporated. What's left? Brandon Lloyd (who could be headed for a reunion with Josh McDaniels in New England), a few second-tier wide receivers and a bunch that won't significantly improve a passing attack.

The Browns will have to look to the draft for a go-to receiver because there really isn't one left in free agency. To make matters worse, Mario Manningham said the Browns aren't even on his radar.

The Bengals' top options to pair with A.J. Green include Manningham, Laurent Robinson (scheduled to visit Jacksonville), Early Doucet, Deion Branch and Plaxico Burress. Cincinnati is looking for a more dependable No. 2 receiver than Jerome Simpson and Andre Caldwell, both of whom are free agents.

The Ravens likely want a No. 3 receiver who can also serve as a returner. Baltimore reportedly has shown interest in the Broncos' Eddie Royal and could go after the 49ers' Ted Ginn.

Here's a recap of what happened with wide receivers on Day 1 of free agency:

Vincent Jackson: Signed with Tampa Bay (five years, $55.5 million)

Marques Colston: Re-signed with New Orleans (five years, reportedly between $35 million and $40 million)

Reggie Wayne: Re-signed with Indianapolis (three years, $17.5 million)

Pierre Garcon: Signed with Washington Redskins (five years, $42.5 million)

Robert Meachem: Signed with San Diego (four years, $25.9 million)

Free agent officially kicks off at 4 p.m. Tuesday, so let's take a look at the three biggest needs for the Bengals:

1. Guard: The Bengals need to significantly upgrade both guard positions if they want to improve their running game. Both starters from last season -- Nate Livings and Bobbie Williams -- are free agents, along with backup Mike McGlynn. The best route for the Bengals to take is to find one starter in free agency and another in the draft. The Ravens' Ben Grubbs would be a great fit, but he will be expensive (but not as pricey as the Saints' Carl Nicks). A cheaper alternative (but a much more short-term option) is Steve Hutchinson, who was released by the Vikings on Saturday. The second-tier guards like the Panthers' Geoff Schwartz, the Titans' Jake Scott and the Texans' Mike Brisiel all have major question marks.

2. Wide receiver: Cincinnati found its big-play receiver in the draft last season, taking A.J. Green with the fourth overall pick. Now, the Bengals need to add a consistent No. 2 wide receiver, and they will look to free agency for that complimentary target to Green. Last season, Andy Dalton couldn't depend on Jerome Simpson and Andre Caldwell, who ran bad routes and dropped too many passes. Simpson and Caldwell are free agents and aren't high on the team's priority list. The Colts' Reggie Wayne would be the best choice because of his consistency and experience, but he is looking to go to an established championship contender. The Saints' Robert Meachem might be the top option with his speed and red-zone prowess. If the Bengals want a veteran possession-type receiver, they could try to lure the Patriots' Deion Branch to Cincinnati.

3. Cornerback: The Bengals will likely draft a cornerback in the early rounds as the eventual replacement to Nate Clements, but they need to address their depth at this position in free agency. Leon Hall is coming off a season-ending Achilles injury, and it's uncertain whether he will be ready when the regular season begins. As far as their own free-agent cornerbacks, the Bengals are not expected to re-sign Adam Jones, and have to make a decision on whether to bring back Kelly Jennings. A veteran backup like the Ravens' Chris Carr might interest the Bengals.

INDIANAPOLIS — Reddened eyes and a hushed voice told the story for Wes Welker in Super Bowl XLVI.

The pass he dropped with four minutes remaining was a turning point against New England in the Patriots' 21-17 defeat to the New York Giants. No amount of consoling from teammates could convince him otherwise.

"That is one I'll have to live with," Welker said.

The Patriots led 17-15 with 4:06 remaining when Tom Brady dropped back to pass on second-and-11 from the New York 44-yard line. New England had driven 48 yards in nine plays after taking over possession at its own 8. Brady had Welker wide open to his left and 23 yards downfield. The pass was a bit behind Welker and high, but the receiver turned his body and got both hands on the ball.

"Ninety-nine percent of the time, he makes that grab," fellow receiver Deion Branch said. "It's football. Nobody's perfect."

Welker dropped five passes during the Patriots' first 18 games of the season, none on throws traveling more than 10 yards past the line of scrimmage, according to ESPN Stats & Information. He dropped a league-high 11 passes during the 2010 regular season, with drops defined as passes the receiver should have caught with ordinary effort, and only when the receiver is 100 percent at fault. But he also topped 100 receptions for the third time in five seasons since the Patriots acquired him in 2007.

"I mean, the ball is right there," Welker said. "I just have to make the play. It's a play I've made 1,000 times in practice and everything else."

Welker kept his composure. It appeared to be a struggle.

"When it comes to the biggest moment of my life and I don't come up with it, it's discouraging," he said.

Brady might not have thrown the pass if not for a Giants breakdown.

"The man over me was playing a two-high look and the safety went to one-high and that is why it opened up for me like it did," Welker explained.

Giants safety Antrel Rolle said communication problems were at fault. The coverage was supposed to change when the Patriots adjusted their formation. The message didn't make it to everyone on defense.

"We were just on a little different page, but it happens," Rolle said. "You know, one mistake all game, we'll take it."

Will they ever.

"We just couldn't connect," Brady said of the pass for Welker. "He's a hell of a player. I'll keep throwing the ball to him for as long as I possibly can. He's a phenomenal player and teammate, and I love that guy."

Welker caught 122 passes for 1,569 yards and nine touchdowns during the regular season. He caught seven passes for 60 yards on eight targets Sunday.

Welker now has 18 receptions for 163 yards in two Super Bowl appearances for New England, both against the Giants and both in defeat. His drop wasn't the only turning point Sunday.

The Patriots still had the lead after the ball went through Welker's hands. They had a chance to convert on third down as well, but Brady's pass to Branch fell incomplete.

A defensive stand following Welker's drop also could have saved the game and spared Welker from his fate, but instead the Patriots allowed a 38-yard sideline strike from Eli Manning to Mario Manningham on the Giants' next offensive play.

Manning-to-Manningham worked again for 16 yards, and suddenly New York had first down at the New England 34 with 2:52 to play.

The Giants scored the go-ahead touchdown with 1:04 left without even trying. Ahmad Bradshaw hoped to stop at the 1, which would have allowed the Giants to run down most of the clock before kicking the winning field goal. But instead they gave Brady one final possession with 57 seconds to play.

Welker would not get another chance.

Brady targeted Aaron Hernandez four times and Branch three times during a final desperation drive that ended with a 51-yard Hail Mary to the end zone.

"It's one that will take a while to shake off, that's for sure," Welker said.

QUARTERBACK: Tom Brady fell short of his fourth game-winning touchdown drive in a Super Bowl. He overcame a ragged start to find his groove. He set a Super Bowl record with 16 straight completions, including 15 straight on two touchdown passes. His first touchdown pass, a 4-yarder to Danny Woodhead, showed his patience to wait for the running back to break free of the linebacker. Brady's second one, a 12-yarder, was quicker recognition to find tight end Aaron Hernandez against the middle linebacker. Brady did get hit on his interception (which turned out to be a long punt) and seemed to hurt his already banged-up left shoulder. He started off the scoring but not the way he intended. His intentional grounding penalty on the Patriots' first play led to a safety, a strange mistake for a quarterback known for such great awareness. Grade: B-plus.

OFFENSE: The Patriots' receivers let Brady down in the fourth quarter with drops from Wes Welker, Deion Branch and Hernandez. The passing game was limited with tight end Rob Gronkowski less than full strength with a high-ankle sprain. He didn't get a catch until three minutes left in the first half. Hernandez picked up the slack with a 12-yard touchdown grab in the third quarter. The offensive line held up quite well against a Giants pass rush that recorded five sacks of Brady in the last Super Bowl matchup. Welker was a hot target in the passing game, although he couldn't pull down a key reception late in the fourth quarter. Grade: C.

DEFENSE: The Patriots' much-maligned defense came up big in the biggest game of the season. Playing both safeties deep to defend against the deep pass, the Patriots made it tough for Eli Manning and forced him to throw into tight windows. The New England run defense got pushed around early (70 yards rushing allowed in the first half), but fared better in the second half. The Patriots played more physical after they were sparked by Patrick Chung's hit on Hakeem Nicks along the sideline. The Patriots then allowed Ahmad Bradshaw to score a 6-yard touchdown with 40 seconds left, so they could get the ball back into the hands of Brady. Grade: B-minus.

COACHING: Bill Belichick lost his second straight Super Bowl. The Patriots had a great game plan defensively and were running an efficient offense. But it was questionable to throw on second-and-11 in the fourth quarter — which resulted in an incompletion to Welker and stopped the clock with four minutes left in the game. Then, the challenge on the Mario Manningham catch on the Giants' final drive cost the Patriots a timeout. Belichick prides himself on precision and discipline, which is why having 12 men on the field for defense was so surprising. That penalty negated a recovered fumble for the New England defense and led to the Giants' first touchdown (a Victor Cruz 2-yard catch in the first quarter). Grade: B.

SPECIAL TEAMS: Stephen Gostkowski kicked a 29-yard field goal. The kickoff coverage team allowed a 34-yard return early in the third quarter. The Patriots' return game was virtually non-existent. Punter Zoltan Mesko was outplayed by Steve Weatherford, averaging 38 yards per punt. Grade: C.

INDIANAPOLIS -- As displayed in his video documentary "A Football Life," New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick enjoys fishing in his free time. It's fitting, because in football Belichick is not afraid to cut bait.

Many players have come and gone in New England. Some have worked out better than others. But the culture of winning remains the same.

There are only seven players remaining from the Patriots' last Super Bowl team in 2007. In four years, nearly the entire roster has been remade into a championship contender.

Big-name players like Randy Moss, Richard Seymour, Mike Vrabel, Tedy Bruschi and Rodney Harrison all left New England for various reasons. Some were released, retired, or traded and wound up on television.

You also have recent malcontent situations this past season such as former Pro Bowl safety Brandon Meriweather and former Pro Bowl defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth. Meriweather had off-the-field issues last season and surprisingly didn't make the 53-man roster. He landed with the Chicago Bears. Haynesworth was acquired in a big trade this summer and released about midway through the season.

Football is a cruel business. But it's particularly cruel in New England if you're underperforming and not buying into the program. You can multiply that by 10 if you're a malcontent.

"Most head coaches and GMs, they're never really willing to swallow their pride and admit that they made a mistake," former Patriots fullback and NFL Network analyst Heath Evans explained. "Bill just says 'Well, I thought we could fix [Haynesworth]. We couldn't. So bye-bye.' Most guys will sit there and hurt their team by allowing a cancer to infiltrate the system, the mindset, how you get something done. But Bill never hesitated.

"He saw enough. He gave [Haynesworth] enough chances and, boom, he's gone. That's an aspect of the structure and discipline. Bill doesn't care how it makes him look or what he's doing. He's going to do what's best for the team."

Haynesworth and Meriweather were cut because they no longer fit. Moss, Seymour and Vrabel were traded while the value was still high enough to get something for them. Belichick is always thinking about the next move.

Patriots starting receiver Deion Branch was fortunate.

The former Super Bowl MVP held out for more money during New England's training camp and the preseason in 2006, and was eventually traded to the Seattle Seahawks for a first-round pick. Branch got the money he wanted. Seattle signed him to a $39 million extension. But Branch never had the same success in Seattle and was traded back to New England for a fourth-round pick in 2010.

Branch was a good teammate, but the holdout with New England left a bad stench. The Patriots showed they were willing to forgive, and now Branch is one of the veteran leaders of this year's team.

"I was very honored," Branch said. "Not many have the opportunity to come back to the same team that drafted you. Guys don't get the opportunity to go through that phase. I was just very thankful."

New England receiver Chad Ochocinco is an interesting case. He's caused issues in the past with the Cincinnati Bengals. But he's quickly -- and wisely -- bought into the "Patriot way."

Ochocinco only has 15 receptions, but fellow Patriots have described him as the model teammate. He accepted his role in New England, no matter how small it is, for the greater goal of trying to win a championship. Moss also caused problems elsewhere and quickly changed his stripes when coming to New England. The talkative Ochocinco received advice from Moss this season on how to handle the transition.

"I learned to shut the [expletive] up," Ochocinco said this week.

Why doesn't this work everywhere? Why isn't every NFL team selfless and without internal issues?

"I think it doesn't work everywhere, because everyone has to buy in. I mean coaches, players, front office and owner," said former NFL executive Michael Lombardi, who once worked with Belichick. "With the Patriots, everybody buys in from the top all the way through. It's a way of life in New England. It's not just a daily job."

According to veteran guard Brian Waters, star quarterback Tom Brady plays a major role with team chemistry. Brady is an extension of Belichick in the locker room. No one is more competitive and works harder than the team's highest-paid player.

"Everybody's got egos, everybody's got their own way of doing things or what they think is the best way of doing things," Waters said. "But to have a coach set the tone and a player follow the tone as good as Tom, it's hard for any player on your team to even think about having a different thought process. If the best player on your football team is buying in 100 percent, then who are you to be any different? That’s something you have an appreciation for."

Evans, who played with the Patriots from 2005-08, went on to tell a great story involving future Hall of Famer Junior Seau. He was a 12-time Pro Bowl linebacker who joined the Patriots late in his career in 2006.

"Junior Seau, when he first got there, I don't think Junior had ever been yelled at a day in his life, or maybe even coached," Evans recalled. "Junior was over the center, trying to time the snap count, and he must have jumped offsides three times in our first practice. So Bill had it all teed up -- 'the lowlight film' is what he called it. Everyday we had a lowlight reel, and you do not want to be on that lowlight reel, because 52 other players are watching your bad mistake.

"So Junior is there jumping offsides and Bill just goes into his rant. Junior is like, 'Is he really doing this to me?' It was to the point where Junior stood up and said 'Buddy' ... He couldn't believe Bill was giving him the business like that."

No one player is bigger than the team in New England. The Patriots have done a great job of consistently sending that message and getting rid of players who don't understand. It's resulted in another Super Bowl appearance Sunday against the New York Giants.

The 2011-12 Patriots are particularly close-knit. Owner Robert Kraft says it's arguably his favorite group since owning the team, and they are one game away from capping a special season.

"One thing I've learned is that many games are lost and won in the locker room before the game starts," Kraft said this week. "Now, they have to go out and execute [against New York]."

INDIANAPOLIS -- New England Patriots receiver Deion Branch has been to the top of the mountain before. Following the 2005 season, he was the MVP of Super Bowl XXXIX, which happened to be the last time New England won a championship.

Does Branch has another big game in him during Super Bowl XLVI?

"Most importantly I want to win first," Branch said Monday. "Just to have double-digit catches when things go the wrong way, that's not what's up. Let's win the game first, then the individual accolades can come."

Branch is accustomed to stepping up in big games. In two career Super Bowls with New England, Branch has 21 receptions for 276 yards and a touchdown.

Branch, 32, also had a big, 61-yard touchdown reception against the Denver Broncos in the divisional round. He's still contributing as a starter in his 10th season.

"From my standpoint, from our team standpoint, I think that everybody knows how important Deion is to our football team, to our offense, to our passing game," Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said. "He does a lot of things, he handles a lot of different responsibilities. ... I couldn't imagine anybody on our team not thinking that Deion Branch has a tremendous importance to our football team."

Branch may need to have another big game for the Patriots. Starting tight end Rob Gronkowski (ankle) hasn't practiced in nearly two weeks, and his status is uncertain. Gronkowski expects to play. But at the very least he will be limited with an ankle sprain. That should open up more opportunities for players like Branch and teammates Wes Welker and Aaron Hernandez.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Those pushing for the San Francisco 49ers to upgrade at wide receiver can point to the NFC Championship Game for supporting evidence.

Michael Crabtree's 3-yard reception stood as the lone catch for a 49ers wideout during a 20-17 overtime defeat to the New York Giants. The team's wide receivers caught eight passes for 51 yards on 29 targets in two playoff games.

Sure, the quarterback play could have been better at times. But with second-year receiver Kyle Williams muffing one punt against the Giants and fumbling while returning another, there's room for improvement at the position.

Should the 49ers stick it out with Crabtree, a player with obvious talent, or should they consider moving on?

Elsewhere in the NFC West, should the St. Louis Rams re-sign Brandon Lloyd even as they install an offense that might not fit him as well? Will Andre Roberts justify his role as a starter for Arizona? What does it say when Seattle gets more from an undrafted free agent (Doug Baldwin) than from an $8 million-a-year acquisition (Sidney Rice)?

The Giants' and New England Patriots' Super Bowl media sessions Monday provided an opportunity to seek answers for questions about what makes a receiver and quarterback click. Eli Manning, Bill Belichick and Deion Branch racked up yards after the questions.

Manning's take

Alex Smith has started 35 games with Crabtree as one of his receivers. Crabtree has hardly participated in offseason practices or training camps for reasons ranging from his rookie contract dispute, injuries and the 2011 lockout.

Manning wasn't going to discuss specifics relating to the 49ers' situation, but the insight he offered on quarterback-receiver relationships in general suggests Smith and Crabtree need more time together. Timing itself isn't a big problem, Manning said, because a quarterback and receiver can work that out in practice. He pointed instead to game situations as the most valuable factor in developing chemistry.

"What happens in a game when things that you prepared for, all of a sudden you get a different technique, or something that maybe that hasn't happened before occurs?" Manning said. "Can you tell by their body language, by the stem of their route, exactly what they are going to do? You have to scramble or move in the pocket and the timing is a little off, how are they going to react to those situations"

Smith has built up that kind of rapport with tight end Vernon Davis. The two have played together since 2006. Smith has thrown 26 of his 68 regular-season touchdown passes to Davis, the NFL's highest percentage to one player for any quarterback with as many or more total touchdown passes.

Smith tossed more scoring passes to Davis during the playoffs (four) than he threw to Crabtree all season (three). The 41-yard strike he threw to Crabtree at Seattle in Week 16 was memorable, but when plays broke down in that game, Smith scrambled and found Davis along the sideline to extend drives, notably on a critical fourth-and-2.

"That is only something can really happen in games," Manning said of improvisational plays in general. "Talking to receivers on the sideline during games, after games. Talk about those plays where the timing was off or you got a different coverage. You have to talk about those things so you can learn from those experiences and make sure the next time you're ready for it."

Belichick and Branch

Acquiring a veteran receiver from another team -- another system, more specifically -- carries risks.

"There are so many different systems in the league and teams draft for their schemes to a certain degree," Belichick said. "If you are going to ask a player to do something, you want a player in there that can do it and not somebody that is a good player but cannot really fit what you want him to do. That's the trick."

Branch's experience in going from Super Bowl MVP in New England to highly paid disappointment in Seattle comes to mind. Branch has bounced back upon returning to the Patriots.

Injuries slowed Branch in Seattle. Front-office infighting brought into question whether or not the coaching staff was as committed as the front office to maximizing Branch's value. Fluctuations in quarterback play also affected things.

"Everything is based on opportunity, situations" Branch said.

Crabtree emerged from the NFC title game lamenting what he considered a lack of opportunities. He had a point. Some passes Smith threw to him appeared to be throwaways or simply off-target.

Another time, Smith failed to throw the ball when Crabtree appeared to be running open. A week earlier, Crabtree failed to make plays on contested passes.

Keeping it simple

Assuming the 49ers re-sign Smith, which seems likely, how the team proceeds at wide receiver will stand as one of the more closely followed offseason storylines.

"One thing I've always felt about that position is, let's not get too over-analytical," Belichick said. "He might be big, he might be fast, he might run great routes, he might have great hands, he might have great experience. But whatever his skill set is, whatever combination of attributes he has, if he can get open and catch the ball, that is good for the passing game. If he can't do those two things, then what value does he have?"

INDIANAPOLIS -- The AFC champion New England Patriots made one thing clear in their first two days at Super Bowl XLVI: They have little interest in rehashing past meetings against the New York Giants.

New England suffered recent losses to the Giants in big games -- both this past regular season and in Super Bowl XLII. Giants quarterback Eli Manning provided a pair of dramatic, fourth-quarter drives to seal it for New York.

Naturally, there will be a ton of questions for the Patriots this week whether the Giants have momentum, or have their number. The Patriots just won’t entertain them.

"This team doesn't talk, not about the past," Patriots veteran receiver Deion Branch said.

New England head coach Bill Belichick is leading the charge in not reflecting on previous games against New York.

"This team is this team," Belichick said. "I think our team is different than what it was at midseason, different than what it was in December. I think the Giants are a different team from when we played them in November."

Regardless, New York comes in very confident after being one of three teams to beat the Patriots this year. The Giants also had the tougher road through the playoffs, beating the Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers.

Both teams have improved as the season has gone on, leading to Sunday's big matchup with everything on the line.

"You could take a little bit as far as the personnel, but as far as our game plan is concerned, you really can't take too much," Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo said. "They've had an extra week to prepare, so have we, and I'm sure we’ll have a lot of different looks for them."

Good afternoon. NFC West blog headquarters will be relocating from the Northwest to Indianapolis for Super Bowl week.

The plane I'm riding in, a Boeing 757, is traveling 565 mph at 35,637 feet, according to tracking software. I'll be connecting through Atlanta, so this will be a full travel day.

Once situated in Indy, I'll be helping with our Super Bowl coverage, with an eye toward this division. Josh McDaniels, David Baas, Bear Pascoe, David Carr, Rocky Bernard, Jimmy Kennedy, Deon Grant, Antrel Rolle, Isaiah Stanback, Deion Branch, Niko Koutouvides, Tracy White and Andre Carter are among the NFC West alumni currently with the Super Bowl participants.

Quite a few current NFC West players will be filtering through Indianapolis for various events during the week. I'll be catching up with some of them.

The week will conclude with Hall of Fame voting, followed by the Super Bowl itself. I don't have a strong feeling as to which team will win the game. Both should like their chances. I did pick New England to win it all before the season -- one of the few predictions that remains on track -- so I'll likely stick with the Patriots when ESPN solicits staffers' predictions later in the week.

Here's hoping this Sunday treats you well.

Here is the final injury report for Sunday's AFC Championship Game between the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens:

Patriots (14-3)

Questionable: WR Deion Branch (knee), T Marcus Cannon (ankle), S Patrick Chung (knee), LB Dane Fletcher (thumb), TE Aaron Hernandez (concussion), S James Ihedigbo (shoulder), DL Kyle Love (ankle), G Logan Mankins (knee), LB Rob Ninkovich (hip), T Nate Solder (concussion), LB Brandon Spikes (knee), T Sebastian Vollmer (back/foot), WR Wes Welker (knee), LB Tracy White (abdomen)

Probable: CB Kyle Arrington (foot), C Dan Connolly (groin), WR Matthew Slater (shoulder)

Ravens (13-4)

Probable: S Ed Reed (ankle)

Analysis: Offensive tackle Sebastian Vollmer is the biggest question mark for the Patriots. He couldn’t go last week against the Denver Broncos. It would be huge for the Patriots' pass protection if Vollmer returned. Otherwise, it's the playoffs and I expect the rest of the "questionable" players to tough it out. The Ravens are very healthy. Starting safety Ed Reed's ankle injury appears to be fine and he will play. I'm looking forward to a great game.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- All the talk surrounding the Ravens this week has been about Ed Reed's critical comments regarding quarterback Joe Flacco and how they will affect the team's heading into Sunday's AFC Championship Game.

In reality, Reed is a bigger problem for the Patriots than he'll ever be for the Ravens. No one draws more respect from the Patriots than Reed and no one gives them more reasons to worry than the eight-time Pro Bowl safety.

The Patriots know they can slow down Terrell Suggs by putting a couple of blockers on him. They know Ray Lewis is always going to be in the middle of the defense before they line up.

There's no certainty when it comes to Reed. He can be anywhere on the field. Reed can even make it look like he'll be on one side and end up on the other before the ball gets there.

When it comes to stopping the Patriots' passing game, the Ravens have to keep an eye on Wes Welker, Rob Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez and Deion Branch. When it comes to having success against the Ravens' pass defense, all eyes are on Reed.

Having Reed playing center field in the secondary is the biggest reason that the Ravens allowed an NFL-low 11 passing touchdowns this season (four fewer than any other team). He's also the biggest reason that no quarterback has thrown more than one touchdown pass against the Ravens in any game this season.

The biggest compliment that Patriots quarterback Tom Brady can give Reed is that the free safety is always at the forefront of his mind.

"When you break the huddle, you find where he's at and you make sure you're not lobbing the ball up in his zones, because as you saw in the Houston game, he's going to go up there and make the plays," Brady said. "He's just an exceptional player. I don't think there is a weakness that he has."

Reed is coming off one of the worst regular seasons of his career, at least statistically. His three interceptions and eight passes defended are his lowest in a full 16-game season.

But the postseason has always been Reed's best season. His eight interceptions is one shy of tying Ronnie Lott, Bill Simpson and Charlie Waters for the most in NFL playoff history.

Reed's latest came last Sunday with 1:51 left in the game and the Ravens ahead by a touchdown. Knowing the Texans would look deep to wide receiver Andre Johnson, Reed held his ground in the middle of the field even though quarterback T.J. Yates was trying to make the safety move left by staring in that direction.

When Yates cocked his arm back, Reed jumped to the right side toward Johnson before Yates even released the ball. Reed was there in time to intercept the pass in front of Johnson at the Baltimore 4-yard line.

Reed's instincts and awareness have led to 57 interceptions, the most among active players.

"I've just been playing football for a long time," Reed said of having a nose for the ball. "I've been playing football since I was a little kid, so it's just some natural blessings that God has blessed me with to get to the ball and understand what I've been doing over the years."

With 11 seconds left in last Sunday's playoff game, Reed made the play that allowed the Ravens to advance to the AFC Championship Game. On that play, Reed was playing over the top against Johnson on the left side, which forced the Texans to throw the Hail Mary to the right. Reed raced all the way across the field to knock down the pass, preserving a 20-13 victory.

"I’m not sure that if he hadn’t made it, I don’t know what would have happened there," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. "Those are the kinds of plays he makes. He probably covers more field back there as a single safety than most teams can cover with two. He’s got great instincts; he’s a tremendous player.”

Belichick's affection for Reed is well-known. He called Reed one of the greatest players ever to play the game. Last year, Brady joked that Belichick wanted to adopt Ed Reed and change his name to "Ed Belichick."

"He has said that to us before, and then constantly threw the ball back there at him," linebacker Suggs said. "I don't know how much that holds weight."

Suggs is right that the Patriots' adoration doesn't mean they fear Reed, who has broken up five passes in four career games against New England and intercepted Brady in the 2009 wild-card playoff game.

While the Patriots were praising Reed all week, the Ravens had to answer questions about his comments every day. Reed went on national radio this week to say Flacco was "rattled" in last Sunday's playoff game and "just didn’t look like he had a hold on the offense." He doesn't believe those comments will distract the team leading up to Sunday's AFC Championship Game.

"It's about the Ravens and New England playing football," Reed said. "All that other stuff is to the side. That was about the last game. It's irrelevant to what we're doing right now, getting ready for the Patriots. What was said was something I said about the whole team, and it wasn't just about Joe. We were critical about ourselves in that game. That's every teammate of mine talking about the game we watched on film. We weren't satisfied with our effort."

Reed won't be satisfied until he wins a Super Bowl, and the years to capture one are starting to dwindle for him. He'll turn 34 less than a week into next season, and he's contemplated retirement before because of a nerve impingement between his neck and shoulder.

Does Reed sense the window of opportunity closing?

"We'll cross that bridge when that happens," Reed said. "Right now, we're focused on playing football and winning this game. That's what it's about at the end of the day. It's about us going out and trying to win this game to the best of our ability, and that's what we're going out there to do."

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Random halftime thoughts:

The Broncos are being Brady'd and Gronk'd.

New England quarterback Tom Brady – perhaps a tad upset about being the second-most-talked-about quarterback in this game – is beating down the Denver defense. Brady has thrown five touchdown passes. The Patriots went up 28-7 with a 61-yard touchdown pass to Deion Branch — then scored again on a Brady-to-Rob Gronkowski strike.

As they did in Denver four weeks ago, the New England tight ends are slicing up the Broncos defense. Gronkowski has eight catches for 97 yards and two touchdowns. Aaron Hernandez has two catches for 29 yards but he has three runs for 58 yards.

Denver’s defense is just not giving the Broncos a chance to stay in this game in a game the Patriots are dominating in the field-position battle.

Denver quarterback Tim Tebow is having a decent game. He lost one fumble, but he hasn’t been a major disappointment. Still, Denver just can’t keep drives going.

The Broncos are running the ball well, at least — 100 yards on 21 carries.