Posted on 01/20/2014 6:53:19 AM PST by rawhide
For the second-straight season, the loss of Aqib Talib during the AFC title game affected the way the Patriots defense played the rest of the game, and not coincidentally, New England, without its No. 1 cornerback, lost to the Ravens last year and to the Broncos on Sunday.
As soon as Talib, who collided with Wes Welker while trailing Demaryius Thomas on a crossing route, was injured and had to leave the game, Denver quarterback Peyton Manning begin targeting Welker and cornerback Devin McCourty.
On Monday, Belichick said in his postseason press conference that Welker -- Belichick's former player who contributed mightily to New England for many seasons, mind you -- deliberately hurt Talib.
"The way that play turned out, I went back and watched it, which I didn't have a chance to [Sunday]," Belichick said Monday morning, via ESPN Boston. "It was a deliberate play by the receiver to take out Aqib. No attempt to get open. I'll let the league handle the discipline on that play, whatever they decide. It's one of the worst plays I've seen."
(Excerpt) Read more at cbssports.com ...
Leave what up to the NFL? Collisions on the football field are now illegal? Politically we are in tune but not so much on the football I think. :-}
No kidding..I’m a Giants fan and while my team has fallen on hard times, I love the fact that we have kept Belichick (and Brady) from winning a Super Bowl since SpyGate.
While Belichick will be in Canton someday, it’s worth remembering that not only did her stumble on on a seventh-round draft pick who became one of the best QBs in NFL history, he also had the good fortune to coach a dominant team in one of pro football’s weakest divisions, the AFC East. Playing Buffalo, the Jets and the Bills twice a year sure doesn’t hurt the ol’ W-L record.
Meant to say, the Bills, the Jets and the Dolphins...
That was exactly what I thought!
If you watch the game again, you’ll notice that on the previous series before the Welker incident, the Patriots did the exact same thing with Julian Edelman throwing a blatant shoulder into Dominique Cromartie-Rodgers, Denver’s best corner, that knocked him out of the game for a play.
What Belichick is crying about is that Welker took a tactic the Patriots use all the time and used it against him.
good teams manage to get away with this stuff. The Broncos run a lot of these patterns and the pick ends up being the natural progression, just like how the dbacks for Seattle get away with holding and PI by keeping it close. Not sure it will change.
If a Pats fan, too, and love the way Belichek and Brady have worked together. You're correct about that flaw, though. Too often over the years the excitement was to a great part seeing how they'd pull off seemingly impossible wins.
It didn't seem that Brady was at peak performance yesterday. I don't understand why he doesn't retire, with his body and mind still intact. He's got responsibilities now, and there's a whole new generation of QBs that need to develop.
“There is something dark about Belichick, very dark. Don’t know
if I can say “evil”, but dark.......
Can’t put my finger on it, but it’s obvious. Don’t see it in any
other NFL coach.......”
Ask Clevelanders what they think of Belichick. But be prepared for a lot of swearing!
Is this what you were talking about?
On this page there are 2 different angles of the hit.
http://nfl.si.com/2014/01/19/aqib-talib-injury-new-england-patriots-wes-welker/
What is very telling is to watch the heads of the 2 bronco’s crossing in the lower frame. Neither were looking for the ball, and that is why it wasn’t caught. Today the receiver is being told to watch the ball and trust wes to take out the dback. ‘take out’ - I dont mean injure, I just mean remove from the play.
Disclaimer. I used to be a Pats fan. I wear a pats coat daily, but it is 20ish years old. I all-but-quit watching the NFL 13+ (or so) years ago when I thought it became to much like pro wrestling. So I never got to enjoy the 3 pats superbowl wins during those years. The pick play was one of the big reasons I quit watching.
Thanks for finding that, I had been looking for it earlier.
I had heard comparisons to the play with welker. The playoffs must bring out the football noobs, those plays are nothing alike.
I agree with many that all teams run picks. maybe they should make them illegal and then we wouldn’t have these internet spats...
I was saying the other day, Belicheck should draft Johnny Football, let him be understudy for a couple of years, and then Tom can do victory lap and they can both (B&B) call it a day.
I’m a Cincinnati native and have no dog in this fight. The upper video of the two you’ve linked clearly shows that Welker hit Aqib on his right shoulder/side and not on his left. He and whoever were running a crossing route, and the idea is to set a “moving pick” on the defense.
I remember in the Collinsworth era in Cincy that we were regularly called for pick plays. I don’t know how they determine the difference between a crossing route and a moving pick. Back then, I’m pretty sure they didn’t have collisions being part of the design.
In any case, you can make a case for Welker trying go under (Aqib’s right side) Aqib and not into him. My guess is that Welker as a long time vet knows not to just blatantly take out a defender.
I’ll be surprised if there’s a fine. I don’t see how you can prove it.
The league office decides all the time on illegal hits whether they incur a financial penalty or not. The NBA does the same thing. Belichick can submit it to the league office and let them decide. He is just sticking up for his own players like every other coach does. I doubt any action will be taken.
Beli-ache’s “spygate” corruption caused the Broncos grief and embarrassment because of his protege Josh McDaniels bringing it to Denver. He illegally spied on the 49ers in London then lied about it. Other teams complained about his illegal tactics also.
Thankfully, the Broncos fired his ass.
There is no way there will be a fine - there wasn't even a flag on the play.
It was a pick, and it is against the rules. Everyone knows it, even the folks that compare the play to edelmans earlier hit.
At some point, defenses will take enforcement into their own hands. Some receiver will think he is going across the middle to bump a dback and won't wake up for a week. Then maybe the league will get involved.
Agree. As long as the impact of the offensive player on the defensive player occurs after the receiver has touched the ball, the impact is the result of a block, not a pick.
If Welker wanted to take out Talib, why not head shot him, or cut block him?
Receiver blocks are pretty critical to game changing plays.
Here is all you need to know about Belichoke's tenure in Cleveland...
He cut Bernie Kosar so he could play Vinnie Intercepteverde...
Kosar still holds an NFL passing record for most yards in a game. Vinnie's claim to fame is the QB who threw the 2nd most number interceptions in a single season.
It looked awful deliberate when I saw it life.
looked like a block to me
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.