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Del Rio follow-up

PHOENIX -- With many of the league's head coaches in attendance at the NFL annual meeting, it offers a chance to tie up a few Patriots-related items from the 2006 season.

One is with the Jaguars and coach Jack Del Rio.

In a brief interview on Monday, Del Rio said his words were taken out of context when he said his defenders should have speared Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in the Dec. 24 meeting between the teams.

The comments came in the days after the Patriots defeated the Jaguars, a game in which Brady absorbed a hard hit in the back from linebacker Clint Ingram while diving head first on a running play. The play was deemed legal by the NFL, although it appeared to be close to a spear.

In the days following the game, Del Rio was asked about the hit, and he brought up another play in the game in which Brady appeared ready to slide, but instead kept running as Jaguars defenders pulled up.

“They should've speared him then," Del Rio said on Jaguars.com at the time.

Del Rio explained the situation today.

“I was asked a question with that word and I didn’t re-direct, and I answered using that word,” he said. “It wasn’t my thought. The word is not an appropriate word. Obviously, that act is not legal and we don’t teach it. It ended up playing out differently than it was.”

Del Rio said he hasn’t spoken with Patriots coach Bill Belichick about the remarks.