![]() So what happened before the game? Patriots coach Bill Belichick had previously claimed that merely taking the balls from a warm room to the cold outdoors could account for the pressure drop. At that point, they were re-inflated to the proper pressure and stayed that way for the second half.Ī patriots staff member took the balls into a bathroom right before the game But after catching an interception during the second quarter, Colts linebacker D'Qwell Jackson noticed the ball felt less inflated than usual.ĭuring halftime, officials checked the other 11 balls the Patriots and found they were all indeed under-inflated - with anywhere between one and two pounds per square inch less pressure than the minimum 12.5 psi mandated by the league. Normally, for each game, each team prepares a set of 12 balls for it to use on offense, and they're checked by officials beforehand. The NFL has confirmed the Patriots' balls were properly inflated before the game. In their win on Sunday, January 18 against the Indianapolis Colts - a game that allowed them to advance to the Super Bowl - the Patriots played part of the game with balls that were illegally under-inflated. Patriots coach Bill Belichick, on the sideline of the AFC Championship. Given previous instances of cheating by the Patriots, it could tarnish their legacy in the future. Regardless, the biggest impact of "Deflategate" might actually be long-term. However, they've decided not to appeal their penalties, though Tom Brady is appealing his suspension, and it could well be reduced by a few games. The penalty for is far steeper than many expected, and the Patriots have responded in kind, publishing a thorough, point-by-point rebuttal to the NFL's investigation, even calling upon a Nobel-winning scientist to argue that the balls could have been deflated naturally by temperature changed. Because teams always use their own sets of footballs when they're on offense, this wouldn't have helped their opponents, the Indianapolis Colts. Why might the Patriots want under-inflated footballs? In theory, they'd be easier for Brady to grip and for the team's running backs and receivers to catch and hold on to during the game's rainy conditions. The league handed down a surprisingly harsh penalty ![]() A referee had confirmed before the game that the balls were fully inflated - but sometime afterward, but before kickoff, Patriots locker room attendant Jim McNally took the balls into the bathroom and likely released air from them, perhaps acting on Brady's orders. ![]() The investigation found that 11 of the 12 footballs used by the New England Patriots during the first half of the AFC Championship had less than the minimum air pressure mandated by the league. Brady will miss the first four games of the season, the Patriots will be fined $1 million, and the team will also lose two draft picks in upcoming years. ![]() Though the Patriots published an incredibly thorough rebuttal of the NFL's investigation, they've declined to appeal the team penalties.Īfter an NFL investigation found that members of the Patriots' locker room staff likely deflated their footballs on purpose - and that Tom Brady probably knew about it - the league has handed down a surprisingly harsh penalty.
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