During the New England Patriots‘ 27-17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, a peculiar situation unfolded. It was regarding the footballs designated for each team’s kicking unit. In an ironic twist, the Patriots had dealt with the Deflategate controversy in the past. But they found themselves on the receiving end of a similar issue this time.

The Patriots’ sideline observed an anomaly with the footballs, which were discovered to be under-inflated by 2.5 pounds per square inch (PSI). The underinflation was attributed to an error by the officials, as reported by MassLive. So, a controversy spurred all over the internet, and amidst that, Pat McAfee came to the Patriots’ rescue.

Pat McAfee tries to defend the New England Patriots

In the show, Pat McAfee took note of the ongoing controversy. Many believed that the past had repeated itself. However, McAfee doesn’t believe the Patriots’ head coach, Bill Belichick, knew about the under-inflation of the ball. He even saw the repeated telecast of the videos of two kicks. At first, he broadcasted the Chiefs’ kick, who missed the first goal of this season.

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But, the Patriots’ kicker also missed the goal. In fact, he ended up missing the whole net. The Patriots’ kicker isn’t a consistent goal scorer as well. So McAfee said, “I’m not saying that Bill Belichick knew that this was happening. Sure, because why would he send his kicker out who’s known to miss with a 40-some-yarder with bad balls.” That’s why McAfee believes that the Patriots were not involved with this incident.

But this refreshed a lot of fans’ memories. As back in 2014, the Patriots found themselves in the middle of a ‘Deflategate’ scandal.

What happened all those years ago?

The Deflategate scandal revolved around allegations that the New England Patriots engaged in an illicit process. The accusation on the Patriots was that they intentionally lowered the inflation of game balls. Reportedly, this happened at the request of quarterback Tom Brady, who preferred a softer grip. The controversy came ahead during the 2014 AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts.

During the game, a surprise halftime inflation check led the NFL to believe there was some evidence of wrongdoing. Subsequently, the league invested over $22 million in a comprehensive two-year investigation. This resulted in a 253-page report holding the Patriots accountable. Tom Brady was deemed “at least generally aware” of the deflation plot, leading to his suspension for the first four games of the 2016 season. The team faced a $1 million fine and lost two draft picks.

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However, per McAfee it’s different this time, as the Patriots did not seem to have any connection with the under-inflation. Even though fans are starting to bring up the past, McAfee has made his stance clear on the issue. What are your thoughts on this matter? Let us know your stance in the comments section.

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