NFL: At Chiefs Vs Patriots Week 15 Game The Footballs Were Not Inflated Enough

Although they appeared to be on the opposite side of things this time, the Patriots are no strangers to deflated footballs and the controversy that surrounds them.

NFL: At the Chiefs Vs Patriots Week 15 Game The Footballs Were Not Inflated Enough

The Patriots’ sideline noticed something strange with the footballs assigned to each team’s kicking unit during Sunday’s 27-17 loss to the Chiefs.

Because of a mistake made by the officials, it was found that the balls were underinflated by 2.5 pounds per square inch (PSI), according to MassLive.

The first indication that something was wrong was when the initial kick was downed at the 3-yard line, which is quite rare in the modern era—especially since this season, 87.1% of Butker’s kicks have resulted in touchbacks.

In the first half, field goals from Patriots kicker Chad Ryland and Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker were both missed: Ryland from 41 yards out, and Butker from 39.

According to the report, the mistake was noticed by the officials at halftime when they found that the “K-Balls” had checked in at 11 PSI rather than between 12.5 and 13.5 PSI.

The officiating crew examined the footballs after receiving complaints from the Patriots, which led to an investigation into the error.

“They were all sitting around at 11 PSI. The threshold is usually 13.5,” a source told MassLive. “[The Patriots] told the refs they were a little underinflated or they felt that way. At halftime, they confirmed and obviously put air in them.”

Harrison Butker of Kansas City, his opponent, has excelled and is now ranked fourth in the NFL at 96.4%.

In Week 15, he again failed to make a kick at Gillette Stadium. However, Butker’s effort was unsuccessful even though it was just 39 yards long, which is normally not an issue for the two-time Super Bowl winner.

After many complaints from the teams, authorities brought the kicking footballs, or “K-Balls,” inside for a more thorough inspection during halftime, which allowed the problem to be resolved.

At this point, league authorities realized they had erred in allowing the footballs to weigh just 11 pounds instead of the required 13.5.

The balls used by the two teams and the kicking balls are kept apart. It is not the fault of any one side if those balls are overinflated or underinflated.

Naturally, New England was embroiled in one of the most well-known controversies in the NFL during the 2014–15 season when it was found that the footballs used in their victory against the Colts in the AFC Championship game were underinflated during the first half of the game.

After the NFL looked into the situation, Tom Brady received a four-game suspension and the team lost two draft selections.

 

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