New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick acknowledged that the footballs were weak in the first half of their 27-17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs at Gillette Stadium.
The pilot explained that the items used by both teams' kickers were “two or two and a half pounds” lighter.
“We had nothing to do with it. Were we aware of that? Certainly yes. As far as I know they were all in the same condition. I do not know why. “It was the same for both teams,” Belichick said during his press conference Friday.
“You have to ask the league what happened. It’s the league that controls it,” he added.
On Wednesday, MassLive.com learned that the balls used by kickers weighed 11 pounds. The minimum allowed by the NFL is 12.5 pounds and the maximum is 13.5 pounds.
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The 71-year-old coach said Chad Ryland and Harrison Butker's missed field goal attempts in the first half showed the effects of an insufficient ball. The NFL has so far refused to comment on the matter.
It was the first kick the Chiefs representative missed this season. Before the game against the Patriots, Butker was 23-for-23 on field goals and 31-31 on points.
This story is reminiscent of the scandal that affected the Pats in January 2015. The footballs used by the team during a playoff game against the Indianapolis Colts were deflated. After an investigation, the NFL fined the organization $1 million and stripped it of two draft picks. Quarterback Tom Brady was also suspended four games in that case because the agency determined he was one of those responsible for a scheme that used poorly inflated footballs.