Jets mentioned often in DeflateGate report
Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots is pressured in the first half by Sheldon Richardson #91 of the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on Sunday, Dec. 21, 2014 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Credit: Jim McIsaac
The Jets are mentioned 25 times in the long-anticipated Ted Wells report on the "DeflateGate'' scandal involving the Patriots.
The 243-page document, which was released Wednesday, stated it was "more probable than not'' that Patriots personnel had violated rules by intentionally deflating footballs in last season's AFC Championship Game against the Colts, and that Tom Brady was "generally aware'' of this practice.
According to Wells' findings, Brady was upset about the size of the footballs during an Oct. 16 game against the Jets, which the host Patriots won, 27-25.
Brady threw three touchdown passes in the Thursday night game. During that game, he "complained angrily about the inflation level of the game balls,'' according to the report, and later exchanged several text messages with longtime locker room attendant Jim McNally and equipment assistant John Jastremski.
Wells wrote that Brady "told Jastremski between drives that the balls felt 'like bricks' and were heavier and harder to grip than they were when he approved them prior to the game.''
Jastremski told Wells that before the Oct. 16 game, it was standard practice to inflate the Patriots' game balls to between 12.75 and 12.85 psi "without thinking much about it, simply because that had been the range targeted by his predecessor.'' The NFL's minimum level is 12.5 psi.
However, when interviewed, Brady said he did not know McNally's name or anything about his game-day responsibilities, the report stated. Asked if he had spoken with Jastremski about McNally on the night of the Jets game, Brady was quoted as saying: "I didn't know who Jim McNally was, so I find it hard to believe I could bring that up.''
A Jets spokesman declined comment.
It's not the first time the Jets have been part of a controversy involving the Patriots. The deep-seated dislike between the franchises intensified with "SpyGate'' in 2007, when then- Jets coach Eric Mangini blew the whistle on the Patriots' illegal videotaping practices.
This year, the teams engaged in a tit-for-tat over Darrelle Revis, resulting in two tampering claims. The Patriots filed charges against the Jets over owner Woody Johnson's Dec. 29 comments about wanting Revis back.
The NFL fined the Jets $100,000 but did not discipline the Pats for Kraft's comments.
Notes & quotes: The Jets signed fifth-round pick offensive lineman Jarvis Harrison . Harrison is 6-4, 330-pounder out of Texas A&M.
