Did Bill Belichick get caught Beli-cheating again?
The Patriots and their integrity-challenged coach could be in deep trouble with the NFL once more after ESPN reported late Tuesday that 11 footballs confiscated from their 45-7 win over the Colts in the AFC title game last Sunday were found to be underinflated by two pounds of air each.
ESPN described league officials as “disappointed, angry and distraught” at the findings.
The bombshell report — which the network attributed to anonymous sources — could mean the second major cheating scandal involving Belichick and the Patriots since Spygate in 2007, when they were caught taping the Jets’ defensive signals and fined $750,000 and docked a draft pick.
In addition, CBS Sports reported late Tuesday the Ravens suspected the special “K-Ball” kicking footballs were underinflated in their loss to the Patriots in Foxborough in the divisional round.
According to NFL rules, all non-kicking game balls — there are at least 24 in circulation, with 12 provided by each team — must have between 12.5 and 13.5 pounds per square inch of pressure.
If proven that the Patriots underinflated balls, the team faces fines of at least $25,000 and potentially the loss of draft picks.
The NFL had no comment in response to either report, but a high-ranking league official said Tuesday afternoon the NFL expects to complete its investigation by the end of the week.
Troy Vincent, the NFL’s vice president of football operations, told NBC Sports the league wants to wrap up the investigation quickly so as not to take attention away from Super Bowl XLIX on Feb. 1.
“We obviously want to … get that behind us so that we can really get back to the game itself,” Vincent told NBC’s “Pro Football Talk Live.”
Here are some of the best tweets on the Patriots reportedly being busted by the NFL for under-inflating footballs, starting with Colts punter Pat McAfee: