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 ...
I am a Pats fan.
Losing this guy did not make a difference. The Pats were lucky to be there. You cannot go all season pulling games out at the last second, and expect to win a championship game.
It’s a clean block, however, like the previous poster, I’m pretty sure that’s a pick.
I guess it gets harder to cheat, once you cheat your way into the playoffs, hhhmmmm... GO DENVER!
Belicheat must have sand in his vagina again...tsk, tsk...
Now, it’s time to practice dropping Sherman.
Whine,whine,whine,whine.
ya....Wes at 185 lbs. soaking wet....he’s the Bronco’s hit man....
Looks like a clean block to me. And Welker is the smaller of the two...
In the Rams-Patriots Super Bowl,the Rams’ receivers were held all day in the name of “letting them play”. I guess the refs were “letting ‘em play”.
You can’t block before a Reception. That’s A) Offensive Interference or B) A Pick.
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Looked simultaneous to me. And for the record, I dislike Manning more than I dislike Brady. Weird, eh?
Manning had the misfortune, by accident of birth, to becom famous as a quarterback on a team with a horseshoe on the helmet while not playing in Baltimore.
Looks to me like both receivers were in the area and Welker could have easily caught the ball had his teammate not been there.
As for the incident: if you’re gonna “take out” another player with intent, then certainly you’d prepare for the hit. It’s pretty obvious in the video that Welker was looking toward the ball and not the Patriot defender... and was not braced for a hit.
If anything is now despicable about this play, it’s Belichick’s characterization of this video. THAT should be fined by the league.
(P.S. - I have no rooting interest in this either way)
Was the loss of Talib so great that the Patriots had to keep all their secondary down field to protect against the pass?
If so then this is down to the owner, GM, and coach who hadn't hired a backup for such a supposedly important position.
Cannot understand why you dislike Manning.
One of the hardest working and most respected QB’s in NFL.
And one of the greatest. Not THE greatest perhaps, but one of the
greatest.
Not my fav QB, but I sure do respect him.........
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........
Welker’s not a big guy - if it were “deliberate” how would the Broncos be able to gaurantee Welker would be the one not to get hurt? Its not like Welker is cannon-fodder for the Broncos
Also, it wasn’t a low blow either - in fact Talib lowers his shoulder into Welker.
Belichick and Brady are both whiners
The Current FReepathon Pays For The Current Quarters Expenses?
I still don’t understand how such a routine block took out such a tough player?
“You can’t block before a Reception. That’s A) Offensive Interference or B) A Pick.”
Well the Pats have been using those borderline illegal picks for years under Belichick. Didn’t they pretty much invent those plays?
“I still don’t understand how such a routine block took out such a tough player?”
I think ‘tough’ is what is giving you the difficulty. It was a hard hit and Aqib can’t take those.
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