You Know the Patriots are Back When Raheem Morris is Accusing Them of Cheating. Welcome to 'Clapgate.'
Being successful is obviously a great thing in an of itself. But nothing is more gratifying than to be successful while others are saying you don't deserve it. That you're somehow unworthy of all the things you've worked to achieve. You didn't earn them legitimately. That makes it all the more satisfying then merely vanquishing your opponents.
It was the certainly how it felt when Barstool was constantly getting accused of pandering to the lowest common denominator and groups were organizing for the sole purpose of shutting us down, but we only grew more popular. And it was most definitely the case when the Patriots were constantly getting accused of cheating, and rules were being changed to stop them, but the wins and the championships just kept coming.
Well while we never went away, the Patriots, as we knew them, did for a while. But after a half a decade of bottom-feeding, they're back at their rightful place at the top of the food chain. Tied for the best record in the league. Currently No. 2 in the AFC playoff standings. And even though we're only halfway through this season of putting the universe back in its proper order, the football world is wasting no time accusing them of cheating to make it happen. Specifically on the play were Milton Willams forced an intentional grounding and saved the game:
Source - Falcons coach Raheem Morris said the Patriots caused the early snap.
“They were clapping. Simulated our snap, got us to snap the ball,” Morris said. “That’s why the ball was snapped early to Mike, and he wasn’t ready for the snap.”
Under NFL rules, defensive players are not allowed to simulate an offense’s snap count. The league calls the 15-yard penalty “disconcerting signals.”
Looking at the video of the play, the Patriots had four defensive linemen with one hand on the ground, and none of them clapped. Patriots linebackers Robert Spillane, Jahlani Tavai, and Marte Mapu were all standing, but it doesn’t appear any of them clapped, either.
Williams, who caused the pressure, said he didn’t hear any of his teammates clapping their hands.
“Who was clapping? Did it look like I was clapping?” Williams said. “I’m going to go watch and see who was clapping. I didn’t hear no clapping. I’m looking at the ball. The ball moves, I’m gone.”
You certainly can't blame Williams for sounding pissed off. But that's just because he's only been with the Patriots for nine games. He's not yet familiar with the fact this is how it is in New England when things are going well. They come at you from all directions, accusing you of all sorts of things. It's not like when he was in Philly and people were trying to get the Tush Push outlawed. That's child's play compared to what they've done to Williams' current team.
And the best thing you can do is learn to enjoy it. Even while they say he didn't really force that penalty that turned a 2nd & 10 into a 3rd & 20 and eventual punt, he's got to embrace it. Like a wrestling heel, when you're with the Patriots, you learn to love the boos as proof you're doing your job.
When they're worried about whether you're committing "disconcerting signals," that's less time they're spending on figuring out how to block you. It's the same as when they incited national panic over spy cameras, air pressure, ineligible receiver formations, listening devices in the locker room, helmet radios that didn't work, scoreboards supposedly showing 3rd down when it was 4th. Red Auerbach loved nothing more than when visiting teams accused him of turning the hot water off in their showers or claiming there were dead spots in the parquet floor. Because it distracted them from worrying about the real enemy: His roster packed with Hall of Famers.
And it sounds like Mike Vrabel sees it the same way:
So yes, Clapgate is upon us. And it's just the latest in a proud tradition of -Gates. May this one be just as effective at stopping this team as all the other ones that have come before.