It looks like the New England Patriots could have a Deflategate 2.0 on their hands.
According to MassLive.com’s Mark Daniels, the footballs used by each team’s kicking units were underinflated by two pounds due to an error by the officiating staff in this past Sunday's loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
“After team complaints, officials took the ‘K-Balls’ into the locker room at halftime where they were discovered to weigh 11 pounds instead of the legal limit of 13.5,” Daniels wrote.
“The underinflated footballs didn’t travel as well in the Foxborough weather on Sunday.”
Both kickers missed field goals in the first half. Patriots’ rookie Chad Ryland missed wide-left from 41 yards, and Chiefs’ veteran Harrison Butker missed wide-right from 39 yards out.
Entering the game, Butker had not missed an attempt this season. Meanwhile, it marked the seventh miss of the season for the struggling Ryland, who has converted on 13 of his 20 attempts this season (65.0%).
The rookie’s 65% success rate is second-worst in the league, ahead of just Graham Gano of the Giants, who sits at 64.7%.
According to Daniels, the Patriots' sideline noticed something was faulty with the balls when Butker’s opening kickoff landed at the 3-yard line, allowing for a Jalen Reagor return.
The report adds the Patriots also “noticed that the trajectory and hang time of kickoffs and punts were lower than usual” during the first half, and the kicking balls were “unusually soft to the touch.”
In the second half, after the footballs were inflated to the correct weight, Butker made both of his field-goal attempts (from 29 yards and 54 yards, respectively). Ryland, on the other hand, did not attempt a field goal in the second half.
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