New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was a little more vocal than usual during his press conference on Monday, calling out Broncos wide receiver Wes Welker for his hit on Patriots cornerback Aqib Talib in the first quarter of the AFC championship game.
Wes Welker played for the Patriots from 2007 to 2012.
This is what Belichick said:
"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. That's all I'll say about that."
Talib didn't return to the game. Here's the hit (via the Big Lead):
The Big Lead
Another angle (via LockerDome):
LockerDome
It should have been offensive pass interference. But in a bang-bang play, the referees were unable to catch that and no flag was thrown.
Talib was definitely missed with Peyton Manning having a near "flawless game" with 400 yards and two touchdowns.
You can watch Belichick's reaction here (via ESPN):