Bill Belichick rips Wes Welker for hit on Aqib Talib

The Patriots’ Aqib Talib was knocked out of Sunday’s AFC Championship game with the Denver Broncos after getting leveled by Wes Welker on a pick play during the 2nd quarter. Bill Belichick blasted his former wide out after the game saying that he intentionally tried to take out his top cornerback, according to the Boston Harold’s Jeff Howe.

BB: “I think it was a deliberate play by the receiver to take out Aqib. No attempt to get open….”

— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) January 20, 2014

BB continued (Welker hit on Talib): ” I’ll let the league handle discipline on that play. … That’s one of the worst plays I’ve seen.”

— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) January 20, 2014

Fox Sports’ rule analyst, Mike Pereira, said that there should not have been a flag on Welker on the play (which there wasn’t), and he legally hit Talib after Demaryius Thomas caught the ball.

People asking about thej hit on Talib. That is not a foul. Ball was touched by 88 about the same time as contact, Can’t be OPI.

— Mike Pereira (@MikePereira) January 19, 2014