Bill Belichick used to coach wide receiver Wes Welker, but there is no love lost between the two after the Denver Broncos wide receiver injured New England Patriots cornerback Aqib Talib on an open-field pick during Sunday's AFC Championship Game which was won 26-16 by the Broncos in a play that Belichick described as "one of the worst plays I've seen."
Talib left the game after the play, and according to Boston.com, Belichick was not happy about it after the game.
"I feel badly for Aqib, the way that play turned out,'' Belichick said at the beginning of his season-ending wrap-up Monday morning at Gillette Stadium, according to Boston.com. "I went back and watched it, which I didn't have a chance to [Sunday], it was a deliberate play by the receiver to take out Aqib.''
The play occurred in the second quarter with the Broncos up 3-0 on the Patriots and facing a second-and-9 from their own 19 with 13:34 left in the quarter. Talib was covering Demaryius Thomas and when Thomas broke from the formation and led Talib across the middle, Welker leveled Talib with an open-field hit leading to Talib leaving the game with a knee injury.
Belichick was outraged, saying that Welker made "no attempt to get open," Boston.com reports.
"I'll let the league handle the discipline on that play,'' Belichick told Boston.com. "It's not for me to decide. It was one of the worst plays I've seen and that's all I'm going to say about that.''
Talib didn't have much to say about the play following the game.
"I can't even remember how the play went," Talib said via Boston.com. "I was just upset [at being hurt]."
Welker denied that he was trying to hit and injure Talib after the game.
"It was one of those plays; it was kind of a rub play and I was trying to get him to go over the top and I think he was thinking the same thing and wanted to come underneath, and you know just kind of collided,'' Welker told Boston.com. "It wasn't like I was trying to hit him or anything like that. I hope he's OK; he's a great player and a big part of their defense.''
Welker played for the Patriots from 2007-12 before moving on to the Broncos last offseason.
Welker had 73 receptions for 778 yards with 10 touchdowns in 13 games this season for the Broncos.
Welker and the Broncos move on to Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium on Feb. 2 against the Seattle Seahawks.
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