Patriots head coach Bill Belichick isn't one to say much that qualifies as newsworthy at his press conferences, affairs which usually consist of brief, nondescript answers and little in the way of openness. But if you, in his opinion, cross the line, that apparently changes.
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Speaking the day after New England fell to the Broncos, 26-16, in the AFC championship game, Belichick called out Denver receiver Wes Welker for his hit on cornerback Aqib Talib that injured Talib's left knee and forced him to miss the rest of the game, saying that Welker was purposely trying to knock Talib out of the game, according to ESPN Boston.
Bill Belichick: " It was a deliberate play by the receiver to take out Aqib. No attempt to get open. ...
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) January 20, 2014 Bill Belichick: "I’ll let the league handle the discipline on that play, whatever they decide. It’s one of the worst plays I’ve seen. ..."
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) January 20, 2014 Bill Belichick: "That’sall I’ll say about that.”
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) January 20, 2014 No penalty was called on the play, in which Welker, a former New England receiver, crossed paths with fellow receiver Demaryius Thomas in an apparent pick/rub maneuver and appeared to hit Talib at about the same time that quarterback Peyton Manning's pass reached Thomas.
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The hit came early in the second quarter and marked a turning point in the game. Talib had been matched up on Thomas, the Broncos' top receiver, and after Talib went out, the Patriots' secondary had no match for Thomas or Denver's passing game at all.
Thomas went on to total seven catches for 134 and yards and one touchdown, part of Manning's 400 yards and two touchdowns through the air. It was deja vu for New England — the team also lost Talib in last year's AFC championship against the Ravens, leading to Joe Flacco attacking the weakened Patriots' secondary in an eventual Baltimore win.
The other interesting wrinkle of the story is Welker's history with Belichick, with Welker having played for the coach with the Patriots before he left for Denver last offseason. Belichick referring to Welker merely as "the receiver" may indicate their relationship is icier than previously thought. Of course, the fact that the normally taciturn Belichick would even call Welker out at all probably signifies that anyway.
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