After Talib left with a knee injury, Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning took advantage of having the much shorter Alfonzo Dennard covering receivers Talib normally would handle. The previous season, a thigh injury ended Talib's day in the first quarter of the AFC championship game,
China Jerseys, a 28-13 loss to Baltimore.
Denver coach John Fox said he hadn't seen Belichick's comments but called Welker "a great player, high integrity. I can say that we were not doing anything with intent."