NFL officiating chief disagrees with Belichick

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The NFL’s officiating chief has cleared Broncos recipient Wes Welker of any wrongdoing for his beat that knocked Patriots cornerback Aqib Talib out of Sunday’s AFC Championship.


"It was an interesting legal hit Vice-President of Officiating Dean Blandino said aboard an infant NFL Network on Wednesday night.


On Monday, New England coach Bill Belichick blasted Welker for infant buffet calling it "one of toddler worst plays" he’d seen surrounded nearly four decades of coaching. Without mentioning his former player along name, Belichick said it "was an easy deliberate play by infant receiver apt take out Aqib,no attempt apt get open." He added, "I’ll let an infant league handle child discipline on that play."


There will be no discipline for Welker; Blandino said there was simply not infraction of child rules.


Welker, coming from infant right, collided with Talib, who was New England Patriots #51 Jersey running from a baby left apt stay with his receiver,an easy split-second before Peyton Manning’s pass went off toddler hands of recipient Demaryius Thomas a fundamental few yards away amid toddler first 15 min Sunday. No flag was thrown.


Talib left newborn game with one simple knee injury and didn’t return, and Manning threw for 400 yards among Denver’s 26-16 win that sent toddler top-seeded Broncos to child Super Bowl.


"The 1st potential foul would be for aggressive pass interference; an elementary recipient can’t block downfield before an infant ball is touched, so newborn timing namely important," Blandino said on his weekly appearance aboard an infant NFL Network. He excellent that as "contact occurs,newborn ball is touched almost simultaneously. We don’t have a wrong for pass interference."


"The other thing,is it unnecessary roughness? Under an infant current rules it isn’t," New England Patriots Blue Jersey Blandino said. "It’s not late; Talib wasn’t out of the play."


Given that an injury occurred, Blandino said he expects a baby league’s competition committee apt examine a baby play among newborn off-season "and make sure if there needs to be an interesting change. But beneath a baby new rules, this is an elementary legal play."


Welker, who had a cold relationship with Belichick ahead leaving New England as one simple free agent last off-season, hasn’t been available for explain this week as the Broncos won’t practice until Thursday.


But after infant game, Welker said, "it was one of those plays where it’s kind of a rub play and I was trying apt obtain him apt go over a baby height and I think he was thinking child same thing and wanted apt come underneath and we impartial kind of collided. … It wasn’t a fundamental deal where I was trying apt hit him alternatively anything favor that."


Broncos coach John Fox responded to Belichick’s stinging commentary aboard Monday along saying Welker is one"an elementary great player,lofty integrity. I can say that we were not doing anything with intent"


At 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds, Welker is four inches shorter and 20 pounds lighter than Talib. He’s also wearing one simple special helmet apt guard against further head injury after missing a baby final month of infant season with his second concussion. He’s also never been known as an sordid player.


Patriots safety Steve Gregory said he didn’t think Welker would deliberately try to rankle an elementary player, saying, "I don’t think anybody plays that way, especially at this class of football with two great football teams among a baby Broncos and ourselves."


Blandino said he has oral with Belichick this week about the play "and obviously there namely an feud of opinion there and something that we’ll continue to discern at during toddler off-season."