The New England Patriots
steamrolled the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship game this past
Sunday, 45-7. In front of their Foxborough fans, the Patriots looked about as
dominant as possible on both sides of the ball.
New England quarterback Tom
Brady had his usual standout numbers in the playoff contest, tossing three
touchdowns and in the process, passing Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning
for the most postseason passing yards (6,800) of all time. Patriots’ running
back Legarrette Blount also broke out for 148 yards and three rushing scores,
adding another element to the offensive attack. Aside from allowing only 7
points on the day, the Patriots defense played at championship-level. The
defense held Colts quarterback Andrew Luck to 126 yards passing, while forcing
him into two interceptions.
On Monday morning, while
Patriots nation was still celebrating their berth in Super Bowl XLIX,
suspicions began arising about the previous days’ contest. Media reports stated
that the Patriots allegedly under-inflated footballs which they used on their
offensive possessions during the championship game. Officials reportedly took
several game balls to be weighed and scaled during regulation of Sunday’s
contest.
When asked about the issue,
New England head coach Bill Belichick deferred questions from reporters and
suggested that they contact NFL officials about the matter. Patriots’ tight end
Rob Gronkowski took a much more comical approach to the whole situation,
claiming that the balls were under-inflated due to his trademark “Gronk-spike”
after scoring a touchdown.
As of Tuesday evening, NFL
officials found that 11 of the 12 footballs which New England used during
regulation were indeed not to “league standard” in terms of inflation. The
balls which New England used were reportedly two pounds lighter per square foot
than the league limit.
Under-inflated footballs could
provide some advantages for the offensive unit using them. In a game like
Sunday’s which had wet and windy conditions, under-inflation could influence
the way in which a ball travels through the air. A football with less air also
makes for an easier grip, which could be especially helpful for backs and
receivers playing in a contest with inclement weather conditions.
During an NFL game, each
offense is assigned its own respective set of footballs. In other words, teams must
provide their own game balls for their own offensive possessions. This reality
exploits that only New England could have received an unfair advantage from
using under-inflated footballs Sunday.
‘Deflate gate’, as it has been
deemed, is most definitely not the first run-in New England has had with NFL
officials concerning regulation rules and conduct. Everyone seems to remember
the infamous ‘spygate’ scandal of 2007, in which the Patriots were found guilty
of videotaping the New York Jets’ defensive signal callers and assistant
coaches during a game. Due to these incidents, Belichick has been deemed “Bill
Beli-Cheat” by fans and media outlets across the nation.
While no punishment has been
delivered by the NFL to this point, expect Commissioner Roger Goodell and his
officials to punish New England for their tampering of NFL regulations. Loss of
draft picks, fines and other significant sanctions could be on the horizon for
New England following this investigation by the league.
Expect the further development
of ‘Deflate gate’ to be one of the main headlines leading up to New England’s
Super Bowl XLIX match-up with the NFC Champion Seattle Seahawks on Feb.1.
