Belichick on Wes Welker: 'It was a deliberate play ... to take out Aqib'

CBS Sportsline ^ | 1-20-14 | By Josh Katzowitz | NFL Writer

[LearnsFromMistakes]

Thanks for the link. I guess I was wrong.

The VP of officials said ‘The receiver can’t block down field before the ball is touched. So the timing is important’.

Maybe we should send him the pic in post 106, post 117, or the video I linked to in post 78 and see what he says about that play, where the receiver obviously starts the ‘block’ before the ball is touched. He just might have a different story.

Seriously, this is why I pretty much gave up watching the NFL years ago. It is easy to see that the ‘legal block’ was early, and because of the timing it was ‘illegal’. But the NFL wont admit it. I either had to quit making fun of pro-wrestling, or stop watching the NFL. I kinda miss watching, but when they won’t admit an obvious mistake, it says a lot about the league.

Come out and say it was a bang-bang play, but Welker should have been called for interference because he was early. Refs are human, and we know we can’t expect them to catch everything at game speeds. But the league admitting they can’t catch it on review is, well, what would you call it? Or do you still not think that Welker hit him before the ball got there?

Was the Welker ‘block’ before the receiver touched the ball? Maybe if the league had access to high-end dvr technology (like most of us have sitting around the house), they could see it like we can.

The other interesting part is the fact that the receiver had a step on the dback. A veteran pick-setter may have noticed that there was no reason to ‘block’ the dback and just let him go.

[rlmorel]

Ahh. I should post the graphic here (fully for humor, not to belittle anyone, including myself):

Most everyone here thinks Wes is a decent hard-nosed guy and had no intention to hurt someone. The hit was, if the receiver had touched the ball first, not a "dirty" one, it would have been well within the guidelines of hitting.

Orange Hoof, I could have been less snarky in my response to you. What I should have said was the wording was typical League Referee Speak, carefully parsed to never admit anything. He said something like "nearly simultaneous" to make sure he didn't have to say it was a missed call, which, heck, wasn't the point anyway.

This Pats fan will be fully rooting for the Broncos in another week and a half.

[rlmorel]

I guess to sum it up, it wasn’t technically legal from the rules governing downfield blocking or contact, but it wasn’t an illegal or even dirty hit if the timing had been right.

I think I said that right...:)

[LearnsFromMistakes]

Really? gonna let it go this easy? not gonna die on this hill?

I kinda have to stay away from this stuff, cause I can get sucked in pretty quick. I told a friend at work that, had I been Harbaugh when they were flagged for that ‘late hit’ before the guy was out of bounds, I wouldn’t have let it go. I would have thrown the challenge flag costing my team a time-out. But I would have made the ref come over to ask me what I was challenging, and said ‘the spot’. Then make him go watch the replay under the hood. Just knowing that he had to watch the completely legal play cost my team 15 yards would have been worth it to me...

One of many reasons I am not a coach.

[OrangeHoof]

Agreed the NFL acts like the Obama administration in their parsing of rules to fit the agenda and, trust me, I’ve had more than my share of beefs about the “official explanation”, particularly when Example A seems to contradict Rule B particularly in instance of Rule C but, oh well, life goes on. **shrug**

Quasi-apology accepted. Were jerseys reversed, I’d probably see it differently.

And while we’re at this, can we PLEASE get rid of the “he gave him an ouchie so there must be a flag and a fine*” rule? (* - unless the hit came from a Steeler, then it’s only a fine). It’s his job to hit the guy and knock the ball loose. If you’re a DB today, you really have to presume half your salary is going to taxes and the other half is going to the league.

[rlmorel]

I began watching football back in 1971 when I came back to the states...the first game I watched, Dick Butkus caught a pass for an extra point...

It was a different time. To me, that was football. I agree, they need to take the skirts off now, but...unringing that bell will be tough!

Of course, the people who watched Ben Davidson play in the Sixties will tell you THAT was real football, and the football after that was pussified...:)

[rlmorel]

Heh, I didn’t think Welker meant to hurt him intentionally, and it was enough of a bing-bang play that I am not that upset they didn’t call offensive pass interference.

I was just irritated that people were saying it was a legal hit when it wasn’t.

[LearnsFromMistakes]

I was just irritated that people were saying it was a legal hit when it wasn’t.

Yeah, same here. And comparing it to a legal hit, saying everyone does it.

I know I have similar bias to the ones on display here, it is good for me to see exactly how they look to others. Even when we think they are not on display...