Morning Sports Update
“He said he heard them clapping.”
The Patriots have been accused of another NFL rule violation: Along with being back on top of the division, the Patriots are once again in the news regarding accusations of rule violations.
After New England’s 24-23 win against the Falcons on Sunday, both Atlanta quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and head coach Raheem Morris discussed the charge that the Patriots defense “simulated a snap” by mimicking Penix Jr.’s clapping. It’s an illegal move in the NFL (and a 15-yard penalty), falling under the league’s “disconcerting signals” rule.
The sequence came at a pivotal moment late in the fourth quarter as the Falcons tried to move the ball into field goal range.
But after being caught off-guard by the snap, Penix Jr. rushed his throw, the result of which was a 10-yard penalty for intentional grounding. It set Atlanta back, and New England (eventually) went on to win.
“Supposedly they were clapping,” said Penix Jr. when asked about the matter following the game. “For us, whenever I’m clapping, that means I want the ball.
“I knew [Falcons center Ryan Neuzil] said he heard them clapping,” Penix Jr. continued, “and he thought it was my clap, and he snapped the ball. I threw the ball in [Kyle Pitts’] direction. He had just released on a route. I thought I was going to be okay with the grounding part. Obviously that wasn’t the case.”
Morris provided a more direct allegation.
“They did a nice job. They simulated a snap,” said the Atlanta coach. “The ball came early, was snapped early. Within that snap, that was when we got the intentional grounding. Nice job by those guys. Great situational football. Great play. Got to snap the ball. That’s why the ball was snapped early on Mike. He wasn’t ready for the snap.”
On Monday, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel was asked about the allegations.
“Clapgate,” he joked during his weekly interview with WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show.”
“That was new. I didn’t see that,” Vrabel said of the clapping. “Maybe that’s a testament to our fans. It got loud and I could hear the energy, so thank them for that.”
Trivia: The Falcons have lost both Super Bowls that the NFC team has appeared in. One was to the Patriots in 2017. What other team has defeated Atlanta in the Super Bowl?
(Answer at the bottom).
Hint: AFC West.
Scores and schedules:
The Patriots defeated the Falcons 24-23 on Sunday, extending New England’s winning streak to six games. Up next is a tough matchup on the road against the Buccaneers on Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Celtics host the Jazz tonight at 7:30 p.m.
Tomorrow, the Bruins will be in New York to play the Islanders at 7 p.m.
More from Boston.com:
Taking the temperature of Patriots fans: Here are some of the reactions to yesterday’s win against the Falcons.
On this day: In 1961, the then-Boston Patriots defeated the Dallas Texans 28-21. The scoring difference in the game came via a 91-yard touchdown run during the third quarter from Ron Burton (father of WBZ sports director Steve Burton).
Yet the play that will always stand out from this particular game occurred when Boston was on defense. Backed up against their own goal-line, the Patriots made a stop on the game’s final play thanks to a bizarre sequence. A fan somehow made his way onto the field, knocking down the Texans’ attempted touchdown pass. It remains a controversy that could only have happened in a much earlier era of professional football.
“I said, ‘Jeez I wish we could’ve found out who that was,’” a good-natured Texans head coach Hank Stram said of the play. “That was the best defensive play we saw all year.”
Daily highlight: In what was a career day on the field (and also a difficult one off of it), DeMario Douglas hauled in a highlight-worthy 58-yard catch.
Trivia answer: Denver Broncos
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