The Patriots are cheating. Again. They’re big fat stinkin’ cheaters. That’s according to Antonio Smith, who said the Patriots knew the Texans’ defensive signals in the first half. Is this case of sour grapes or a legitimate gripe?
“I’m very suspicious. I just think it will be a big coincidence if that just happened by chance. I don’t know for sure, but I just know it was something that we practiced this week.”
Probably just good scouting right?
“I can’t tell you an example because it’s G15 classified,” Smith said. “It’s a defensive thing that we might continue to use. … The way, I’m trying to say it without giving it away. When you watch film of the team do something a certain way all the time no matter what team they play — it’s been 12 games played and they always did it — and then all of a sudden it’s changed? It was pretty clever and pretty suspicious.”
Clever? Bill Belichick? You don’t say.
The Texans led 17-7 at the half. At the 8 min mark of the third quarter they trailed 21-17. It’s become quite common for the Pats to storm back from deficits in the second half. Just one week ago, they erased a 24 point lead against the Broncos.
So this is probably much ado about nothing. This is probably just good coaching.
But it does make you think right? It does make you wonder of corporate espionage exists in the NFL. We’re talking about a multi-billion dollar industry here. We’re talking about people’s jobs on the line every Sunday.
Is that much out of the realm of possibility? Yeah, probably not.