Patriots' Belichick on Deflategate Déjà Vu: ‘Nothing to Do with It’
FOXBORO — While the holiday season is often a time of fond reflection, New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick may have experienced an added — and not as pleasantly sentimental — level of déjà vu throughout the week.
With the terms “.psi” and “ideal gas law” once again finding their way into the collective consciousness of Patriots Nation, Belichick confirmed on Friday that the kicking footballs (a.k.a. “K” balls) used in the first half of Sunday's 27-17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs were improperly inflated, as first reported by MassLive.com on Wednesday evening.
"They were underinflated by 2, 2.5 pounds … I think you could see that by the kicks,” Belichick told reporters when asked about the budding controversy.
“Were we aware of it? Yeah, definitely," he added "As I understand it, they were all the same. I don't know what the explanation is. It was the same for both teams.”
Before the army of amateur scientists and social-media physicists choose to descend upon Foxboro, Mass. for another futile witch hunt, Belichick was sure to remind everyone that the “K” balls are controlled by NFL officials, not the teams.
"We don't have anything to do with it,” Belichick said. “You'd have to talk to the league about what happened on that. That part of it, they control all that."
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick questions the official during the first half against the Kansas City Chiefs at Gillette Stadium.
Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
Per NFL regulations, the kicking footballs are supposed to be between 12.5 and 13.5 pounds per square inch, with officials in charge of ensuring that is the case as they are in possession of all footballs leading up to the game.
As previously stated, Belichick referenced the missed field goals by Kansas City's Harrison Butker (from 39 yards) and New England's Chad Ryland (from 41 yards) in the first half. There were also two kickoffs which nearly sailed out of bounds. After team complaints, officials took the “K” balls into the locker room at halftime where they were discovered to weigh 11 PSI. They were subsequently adjusted to the legal limit of 13.5 for the second-half.
The crew assigned to Sunday’s Week 16 matchup between the Pats and Chiefs was led by referee Shawn Hochuli, who has 10 years experience working within NFL officiating.
A spokesperson for the NFL declined comment regarding the underinflated footballs.
Of course, New England is no stranger to the subject of football inflation. The Patriots were ultimately fined $1 million, the team was docked two draft picks, and quarterback Tom Brady was suspended four games for what became collectively known as “DeflateGate.” The NFL determined that Brady — and to a lesser extend, the team — played a “more probable than not” role in a scheme to provide improperly inflated footballs for the AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts on Jan. 18, 2015.
As a result of the nearly year-long investigation, the NFL put strict protocols in place to ensure footballs used in games were inflated properly — superficially maintaining their commitment to protect “the integrity of the game.”
Since that time, much of the “DeflateGate” information and evidence presented against both Brady and the Pats has proven to be inaccurate, or at best circumstantial.
