A day after essentially accusing the Patriots of cheating during Sunday’s 24-23 loss, Falcons coach Raheem Morris reviewed the tape and put the blame on his own team, clarifying previous post-game remarks.
Morris had implied New England illegally simulated the Falcons’ snap count on a key drive that came late in the fourth quarter with Atlanta trailing by a point. Near midfield facing second down, center Ryan Neuzil sent a snap toward quarterback Michael Penix Jr. that he wasn’t prepared to receive, resulting in an intentional grounding under duress.
Morris previously said the Patriots confused Neural by simulating Atlanta’s snap count.
“This was our players telling us they simulated the snap out there,” Morris said Monday after review. “They heard something and obviously they did, that’s why he snapped it. This was no intent that they did anything wrong, there was no intent that those guys did anything wrong. We’re just telling you guys what happened. I was asked why the ball was snapped early. It was snapped early for our fault.
“It was on us. We can’t snap the ball early no matter what anybody does. It’s gotta be more about us. That was just me being angry yesterday. Somebody asked me what happened, I was just being honest with you guys. I don’t want to make it a Snapgate, which I probably already did.”
Patriots coach Mike Vrabel acknowledged the post-game remarks from Morris on Monday, saying he “certainly didn’t think that was anything we did” in the final moments.
Vrabel said he doesn’t waste time looking for anyone clapping pre-snap.
“We’ve never coached that or talked about that. I can’t spend that much time focused on it,” Vrabel said Sunday. “Did look at it briefly, certainly didn’t think that was anything that we did. It was pretty loud, guys are trying to get lined up, and I’m glad we took off when they snapped the ball.”
Vrabel called Morris’ initial claim a “waste of time” before moving on to further questions.
Disconcerting signals are illegal in the NFL and result in a 15-yard penalty. And if officials would’ve deemed New England’s “clapping” as simulating a snap, the Falcons would’ve had a fresh set of downs at the Patriots’ 33-yard line, trailing 24-23.
“They were clapping. Simulated our snap, got us to snap the ball,” Morris said after the game. “That’s why the ball was snapped early to [Penix], and he wasn’t ready for the snap.”
Video replay before the snap doesn’t show any of New England’s nine defenders near the line of scrimmage clapping before rushing four on the play.
Penix said after the game his center heard clapping.
“Supposedly they were clapping,” Penix said. “For us, whenever I’m clapping, that means I want the ball. I knew [Neuzil] said he heard them clapping, 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.”
