It has been eight years since the Deflategate scandal rocked the NFL. And while the Week 11 clash between the New England Patriots and the New York Jets ended dramatically, the Foxborough outfit may be caught in another cheating scandal. A dramatic punt return that ensured the Patriots’ victory is now surrounded by controversy.

The game looked set for an OT showdown, but an 84-yard punt return tilted the results in the Patriots’ favor.

The New England Patriots in controversy 

The score was locked at 3-3. The Jets opted to punt the ball away with under 30 seconds to go in the last quarter. But the Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones returned the punt for 84 yards and scored the game-winning touchdown on the play. It was dramatic. What a result for the Patriots. Jones became an instant hero in the fanbase both at Foxborough and the wider NFL community. But was it even legal?

Many fans have pointed to a video that, they claim, is proof that it wasn’t. The video shows that the Patriots linebacker Mac Wilson allegedly blocked the Jets cornerback Justin Hardee in the back. If he had not done that, Hardee would have reached Jones and tackled him to the ground.

The result could still have been the same as the Patriots would have got a field goal attempt to finish off the game. But with Patriots kicker Nick Folk out of form, anything was possible. Folk missed two previous attempts from 40+ yards.

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Eight years have passed since the infamous ‘Deflategate’ resulted in a $1 million fine on the Patriots. And Bill Belichick’s team is in a controversy again.

The Jets’ offensive woes 

No doubt the punt return was a contentious call, but the situation reached there because of the Jets’ offensive errors. The Jets’ offense looked out of its depth in the game. The defense held the Patriots’ offense out of their end zone for the majority of the game. Only time the Patriots reached the Jets’ end zone was the punt return to win the game. Sure, that is on the offense. The Patriots won 10-3.

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Jets’ star quarterback Zach Wilson had a game to forget. He completed just nine of his 22 pass attempts and threw just 77 yards in the game. He threw no touchdown passes in the game. The Jets put something on the board with a second-quarter field goal. The Patriots also did not score any touchdowns apart from the last-minute winner from Jones. All in all, a bad day in the office for both offenses. 

The Jets are now last in the AFC East divisional table with a 6-4 record. They still have the chance to make it to the playoffs. But that will require them to play with more sharpness in the offense in the remaining seven games. How will their season end? Will this game affect the ending?

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