FOXBOROUGH — Standard playoff beard protocol calls for the participating player(s) to forgo shaving at the beginning of the postseason, leaving the final day of the regular season as the last permitted full shave.
Julian Edelman has had quite the head start.
For all NFL teams, the regular season closed on Jan. 3. For Edelman, it ended against the Giants on Nov. 15, the Patriots' star receiver hobbling off to the sidelines following a catch and dropping his helmet as he neared the bench. He hasn't put it back on for a game since.
Without him, the past two months in New England have dragged.