Ben Roethlisberger comes out of obscurity to say the Patriots are cheaters
In one of the least shocking developments in recent Patriots history, a bitter former player has decided to come out of hiding to call the team cheaters again because they're still upset they lost a game nearly twenty years ago.
The latest guy to do that is retired Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger on a new episode of his podcast. He had Jerome Bettis on, and the AFC Championship between the Patriots and Steelers during the 2004 season came up in conversation.
Bettis and Roethlisberger claimed the Patriots knew their signs, with the former running back going into detail about when he first realized what was happening.
Ben Roethlisberger and Jerome Bettis say the Patriots stole their signs and cheated in the 2004 AFC Championship Game.
— Jarrett Bailey (@JBaileyNFL) September 25, 2023
🎥: Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger pic.twitter.com/ng5JKhkEmF
Other than the pathetic nature of still whining about losing a game 19 years later, Bettis' recalling of the game was incorrect. The nose tackle he seemingly referred to, Ted Washington, wasn't even on the Patriots roster in 2004, making his recollection wholly fabricated.
If he can't even accurately recount the scenario he claims was evidence proving the Patriots cheated, then why should anyone believe the story to be true?
On top of that, the game wasn't even close. The final score was 41 - 27, with the Patriots going on to win Super Bowl XXXIX.
What makes the entire situation a bit more comical is Bettis recorded 17 carries for 64 yards and a touchdown, averaging 3.8 yards per carry. So it's not like the Steelers dominated all around and still somehow lost or got screwed out of a win. It was mediocre at best for both teams, but the Patriots clearly did enough to get the win.
Regarding the allegation of stealing signs, former linebacker for the Patriots from 2000-2005, Matt Chatham, summed it up perfectly in a tweet from earlier this month.
Because—as we’ve explained to everyone willing to listen w/ an IQ over 30 since “Spygate” nonsense—a 🏈 team’s signals aren’t “stolen.” They’re freely available to be observed by everyone in a stadium & deciphered. If they can. Some can figure it out. Many can’t. That’s the game. https://t.co/g60vg3SthS
— Matt Chatham (@chatham58) September 13, 2023
The game has changed a lot over the years, but many of those making these allegations toward the Patriots have been retired for a long time, which shouldn't confuse them. Signs are not stolen, as Chatham stated, making it laughable to suggest the Patriots did something no other team could or did do at the time.
And then there's the question of why are they discussing this now. Some other former Pittsburgh coaches and players have made the same accusations over the years, but this is out of the blue for no reason.
Why are they still holding onto this loss and complaining about it when they went on to win two more Super Bowls? It's just the latest example of trying to keep the "Patriots are cheaters" label relevant and to discredit all that Tom Brady and Bill Belichick did together.