Deflategate 2.0? Report claims kicking balls used during Chiefs’ win over the Patriots on Sunday weren’t inflated properly… nearly nine years on from scandal involving New England
- Kickers from both teams missed the same number of field goals in Sunday's game
- Tom Brady and the Patriots faced several fines for underinflating balls in 2015
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
a report from Mass Live claims that the kick balls used during the Kansas City Chiefs' victory over the New England Patriots on Sunday were improperly inflated, nearly nine years after the 2015 Bill Belichick-Tom Brady scandal.
The outlet's Mark Daniels reported that officials took balls intended for each team's kicking units into the Gillette Stadium locker room at halftime last weekend to measure their weight after several complaints.
There, umpires discovered that the balls weighed 11 pounds per square inch. That's 1.5 pounds less than the NFL's minimum standard of 12.5 PSI. The maximum weight a ball can be inflated with is 13.5 PSI.
“They were all around 11 PSI. The threshold is usually 13.5,” an anonymous source told MassLive. “(The Patriots) told the refs that they were a little under-inflated, or they felt that way. They confirmed that at halftime and clearly breathed something into it.'
It's unclear if the underinflated balls would have penalized either team, as Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker and Patriots kicker Chad Ryland missed field goals in the first half.
Under-inflated balls were discovered by game officials during Patriots-Chiefs halftime on Sunday
Butker finished Sunday's game with two of three converted field goals, including a 54-yarder. All three of his extra point attempts were also successful.
Ryland went 1-for-2 and converted both of his extra point attempts.
Normally each team gets 12 primary balls and 12 backup balls for each match they play. All balls are made available to the referees for testing a few hours before kick-off.
What's more, referees also prepare six new balls before each match that are used solely for kicking. It's unclear whether the officials in charge of Sunday's Chiefs-Patriots game weighed the balls before kickoff, but the plan is for them to do so before each game.
“I don't know at what point it was missed,” a source told MassLive. 'I don't think they leaked. It was a situation and it was alleviated in the second half.”
The balls were inflated to 11 lbs per square inch, which is less than the NFL standard of 12.5-13.5
If the report turns out to be true, it will serve as a reminder to fans of the 2015 'Deflategate' scandal.
Former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was suspended and the Patriots were both fined $1 million and lost two draft picks after officials found the football was under-inflated during New England's victory over the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC nine years ago Championship match.
The Patriots went on to win Super Bowl XLIX two weeks later. It has never been proven that the balls were underinflated by the competition.
The Chiefs next play the Las Vegas Raiders on Christmas Day, while the Patriots play the Denver Broncos on Christmas Eve.