PDA

View Full Version : Ward says Pats were 'calling our stuff out' in 2002



packers11
09-12-2007, 08:04 PM
Ward says Pats were 'calling our stuff out' in 2002
Sep. 12, 2007

CBSSports.com wire reports

PITTSBURGH -- Wide receiver Hines Ward suspects the New England Patriots may have had some type of inside information on the Pittsburgh Steelers before at least one of the teams' two AFC championship game matchups since the 2001 season.

Ward is certain the Patriots, while known for the thoroughness of their scouting under coach Bill Belichick, had some kind of unusual help before their 24-17 upset victory in Pittsburgh in the January 2002 AFC Championship Game. The Patriots went on to win the first of their three Super Bowls.

"Oh, they knew," Ward said Wednesday. "They were calling our stuff out. They knew, especially that first championship game here at Heinz Field. They knew a lot of our calls. There's no question some of their players were calling out some of our stuff."

NFL security officers confiscated a video camera and tape from Patriots video assistant Matt Estrella while he was working on the New York Jets' sideline during New England's 38-14 victory on Sunday. The league has confirmed that it is investigating whether the Patriots were taping the Jets' defensive coaches as they signaled to players on the field.

On Tuesday, Steelers first-year coach Mike Tomlin, who wasn't around for those AFC Championship Games, said "when there's smoke, there's fire" of widespread suspicion some NFL teams use spying tactics.

The Patriots also beat the Steelers 41-27 in the January 2005 AFC Championship Game, though that victory was so convincing it would be difficult to pin it on cheating.

Still, Ward said he is disappointed there are allegations that any NFL team may have resorted to spying to gain an edge.

"You would hope that, during their run, when they were winning all their (three) Super Bowls, all that stuff wasn't going on," Ward said. "You look back in the past, and we played them in the championship games, and you kind of wonder. It seemed like they were a step ahead of us at all times, but those games are behind us. There's nothing we can do about it. You just look forward and see what the commissioner (Roger Goodell) will do."

Ward said any team caught spying should give up high draft picks.

"It's really hard to say (they should) forfeit games," Ward said. "Draft picks would hurt a lot of teams; take away their first or second-round pick -- that would be a stiff penalty to make sure nobody does it again."

Steelers cornerback Deshea Townsend also felt suspicious, if only for one play he didn't identify, during one of the AFC title games.

That led quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to joke, "If they cheated during our AFC Championship Game (in 2005), so we should get a Super Bowl ring."

Roethlisberger has given little thought to the possibility the Patriots may have had an unfair advantage against Pittsburgh.

"No, it's actually the farthest thing from my mind. I don't think it's been in the front of too many people's mind," he said.

Pro Bowl nose tackle Casey Hampton also downplayed the cheating talk, saying scouting is so through in the NFL that it's difficult to fool any team.

"In this league, everybody knows what everybody's going to run. It's just a matter of stopping it," he said. "The bottom line is you watch enough film and you know where guys are and where they're coming from."

Dick Hoak, the NFL's most tenured assistant coach before retiring this year after 35 seasons, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette the Steelers once received a suspicious video tape by mistake from an opposing team during a routine tape exchange.

The tape focused on a coach making hand signals from the sideline, Hoak said, but the Steelers did not report the tape to the NFL.

AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

PaCkFan_n_MD
09-12-2007, 08:11 PM
Boy am I losing respect......

b bulldog
09-12-2007, 08:13 PM
Billy B is a prick, I hope he gets hammered.

4and12to12and4
09-12-2007, 08:16 PM
Billy B is a prick, I hope he gets hammered.


:glug:

MadtownPacker
09-12-2007, 08:24 PM
Billy B is a prick, I hope he gets hammered.You already know what Im gonna say but I gotta ask YOUR opinion cuz you have been a Brady supporter from long ago.

Does this taint Tom Brady's success in any way, shape, or form?

b bulldog
09-12-2007, 08:27 PM
No, I don't think so but from what I've been reading, this mostly helped the D but who knows? I am biased on this so I will ist this out. Brady's play against the Jets could have definitely been helped by this but he still threw some mighty pretty passes to Moss ect. Sunday night, the Pats play the bolts on NBC, sunday will be a fun day.

MadtownPacker
09-12-2007, 08:44 PM
No, I don't think so but from what I've been reading, this mostly helped the D but who knows? I am biased on this so I will ist this out. Brady's play against the Jets could have definitely been helped by this but he still threw some mighty pretty passes to Moss ect. Sunday night, the Pats play the bolts on NBC, sunday will be a fun day.I agree it mostly helped the D and that is a huge reason why they got to the Superbowls. I dont think it helped Brady this last Sunday cuz they whupped on the jets and that pass to that piece of crap moss was where it needed to be. I asking about past success, mainly the last 5 years.

Rastak
09-12-2007, 08:46 PM
No, I don't think so but from what I've been reading, this mostly helped the D but who knows? I am biased on this so I will ist this out. Brady's play against the Jets could have definitely been helped by this but he still threw some mighty pretty passes to Moss ect. Sunday night, the Pats play the bolts on NBC, sunday will be a fun day.I agree it mostly helped the D and that is a huge reason why they got to the Superbowls. I dont think it helped Brady this last Sunday cuz they whupped on the jets and that pass to that piece of crap moss was where it needed to be. I asking about past success, mainly the last 5 years.


He was your favorite guy recently! :lol:


Note to self: STFU before you get booted.....

4and12to12and4
09-12-2007, 08:48 PM
By the way, let me go on record right now and say that Moss will probably have a career ending injury against the Bolts this week. Those skinny ass legs are going to be crushed into twenty pieces. I bet he doesn't go up the middle ONCE, pussy. He's got great hands, but looks thinner than Berrian. The Bolts are going to jar his head from his body. Book it.

Packnut
09-12-2007, 08:51 PM
No, I don't think so but from what I've been reading, this mostly helped the D but who knows? I am biased on this so I will ist this out. Brady's play against the Jets could have definitely been helped by this but he still threw some mighty pretty passes to Moss ect. Sunday night, the Pats play the bolts on NBC, sunday will be a fun day.I agree it mostly helped the D and that is a huge reason why they got to the Superbowls. I dont think it helped Brady this last Sunday cuz they whupped on the jets and that pass to that piece of crap moss was where it needed to be. I asking about past success, mainly the last 5 years.


He was your favorite guy recently! :lol:




Note to self: STFU before you get booted.....



He loved J Walk at one time also...... :P

Rastak
09-12-2007, 08:54 PM
By the way, let me go on record right now and say that Moss will probably have a career ending injury against the Bolts this week. Those skinny ass legs are going to be crushed into twenty pieces. I bet he doesn't go up the middle ONCE, pussy. He's got great hands, but looks thinner than Berrian. The Bolts are going to jar his head from his body. Book it.


Bookmarked. We'll discuss on Monday.

FritzDontBlitz
09-13-2007, 12:59 AM
they were taping the jets defensive coaches to steal their signals, so yes they were aiding tom brady not the pat's defense. offensive plays arent sent by hand signal they're transmitted by radio to the qb.

and yes, it taints tom brady's success. but then, i never liked the guy anyway so i may be biased.

HarveyWallbangers
09-13-2007, 01:18 AM
Mike McCarthy regarding the situation:


(As a play-caller, if you have that information, how much does it help you?)
You have to remember now, the clock is running too. The clock is running, and the guy who benefits more clearly is the quarterback. The play-caller is cut off at 15 seconds. I don't know the mechanics of an operation like that and the time frames they're doing it in, but definitely, the benefit of the quarterback is where the value is.

(Were you aware of the situation in the game last year?)
I heard about it afterwards.

KYPack
09-13-2007, 06:57 AM
they were taping the jets defensive coaches to steal their signals, so yes they were aiding tom brady not the pat's defense. offensive plays arent sent by hand signal they're transmitted by radio to the qb.

and yes, it taints tom brady's success. but then, i never liked the guy anyway so i may be biased.

There is considerable scuttlebutt that the Pats were:

A. Trying to intercept the other teams signals via helmetphone to anticipate play calls and wag 'em to their D.

or

B. Trying to jam the radio frequencies to mess up other teams play calls.

They need to lose a high pick for doing all this shit.

the_idle_threat
09-13-2007, 07:48 AM
I guess I'm the only one who doesn't give a shit.

Rastak
09-18-2007, 02:03 PM
By the way, let me go on record right now and say that Moss will probably have a career ending injury against the Bolts this week. Those skinny ass legs are going to be crushed into twenty pieces. I bet he doesn't go up the middle ONCE, pussy. He's got great hands, but looks thinner than Berrian. The Bolts are going to jar his head from his body. Book it.


Wrong again.

Iron Mike
09-18-2007, 05:41 PM
By the way, let me go on record right now and say that Moss will probably have a career ending injury against the Bolts this week. Those skinny ass legs are going to be crushed into twenty pieces. I bet he doesn't go up the middle ONCE, pussy. He's got great hands, but looks thinner than Berrian. The Bolts are going to jar his head from his body. Book it.


Wrong again.

http://sf.metblogs.com/archives/images/2007/03/pwn3d.jpg

Bretsky
09-18-2007, 05:52 PM
Go Patriots