FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- When New England Patriots receiver Julian Edelman returned from a broken foot to play in the playoffs last year, the fragility of his situation was reflected in what happened after the game.
Edelman was whisked off to the X-ray room, as the medical staff wanted to see if the screw in his foot had been compromised in any way. Those close to Edelman were relieved after the divisional-round win over the Kansas City Chiefs that everything was OK, but the AFC Championship Game the following week added more wear and tear to the foot.