Something happened during the NFL’s season opener between the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers.

“We were listening to the Patriots’ radio broadcast for the majority of the first half through our headsets,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin told reporters follow a 28-21 loss.  “We will let the league officials handle it.”

Except Pittsburgh didn’t let the league officials handle it. They wrote about it on the team’s official website and came within an inch of accusing New England of cheating.

via Steelers.com:

From the start of the game through the opening 14 minutes of the first quarter, the Steelers’ coaches’ headsets were receiving the Patriots Radio Network broadcast of the game. The broadcast was so loud that the Steelers coaches were unable to communicate, and the NFL rule is that if one team’s headsets are not working the other team is supposed to be forced to take their headsets off. It’s what the NFL calls the Equity Rule. Strangely enough, whenever an NFL representative proceeded to the New England sideline to shut down their headsets, the Steelers headsets cleared. Then as the representative walked away from the New England sideline, the Steelers’ headsets again started to receive the Patriots game broadcast.

The NFL was quick to release a statement about the occurrence.

“The coaches’ communications equipment, including the headsets, is provided by the NFL for both clubs use on game day,” NFL spokesman Michael Signora said in a statement. “Once the power issue was addressed, the equipment functioned properly with no additional issues.”

Patriots coach Bill Belichick said New England also had communication problems during the game, adding it happens “like weekly.”

Click here to read more.

SOURCE: USA Today
Mike Foss