Every so often, at least once a year, we’re talking about the 2004 AFC Championship Game. Reliving the painful memory of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ historic season, going 15-1 with a rookie Ben Roethlisberger, and making it to the AFC title game fter a wild win over the New York Jets (we thank you again, Doug Brien). It ends with the New England Patriots playing spoiler and ending the Steelers’ magical run. Inevitably, the conversation turns to accusations of the Patriots cheating, a scandal that would play out in Spygate.
This time, it’s former Steelers RB and Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis making the claim. Appearing as a guest on Ben Roethlisberger’s most recent episode of Footbahlin, Bettis says he’s sure the Patriots cheated to help win the game.
“For sure they did,” Bettis replied after Roethlisberger said the Patriots cheated. “That’s not even a question mark. It’s not even a question in my mind.”
Bettis backed up his claim by citing a specific moment that made him realize something strange was happening.
“It was fourth and one they called timeout. First of all, coach did this back in the day,” Bettis explained, clapping his hands to mimic the signal the Steelers would give. “This meant counter. They saw this…they called timeout. Who normally goes to the sideline on timeout? The defensive captains. They told the nose guard Washington. They pulled him to the sideline. Big 400-pound guy. He don’t wanna go to the sideline and come all way back.”
That’s referring to Big Ted Washington, the veteran nose tackle who briefly played for the New England Patriots. Bettis’ story seems slightly incorrect here, Washington only spent the 2003 season with New England and spent 2004 with the Oakland Raiders.
Bettis would go onto say the Patriots had the perfect answer for the Steelers’ counter run, the defense looping in to stop the play. Bettis would fumble the ball, recovered by the Pats, who would hit a 60-yard touchdown the other way the following play.
So how factual is this? Partially.
Looking back through the 2004 AFC Championship Game, Bettis is actually referring to LB Ted Johnson, No. 52. New England did not call a timeout before this play but in this clip, you can see Cowher signal to the offense to go for it (though cameras don’t show him making the motion with his hands Bettis says he did; instead, Cowher mouths in the call with his playsheet covering his mouth). Patriots head coach Bill Belichick calls Johnson over to tell him something before walking back to the sideline.
On the snap, a defensive tackle doesn’t loop but the Patriots do stop this run dead in its tracks, Bettis fumbling the ball away.
In fairness, it’s nearly been 20 years since the play and memories fade. But it’s at least worth going back to the tape and matching up as much as we can here. The only other fourth-down attempt Pittsburgh ran that game was successful, a touchdown to WR Hines Ward. In the second quarter, the Patriots did call a timeout after S Rodney Harrison limped off and RB Duce Staley was stuffed by the d-line on the ensuing play. But that was a first-down run, not a crucial fourth-and-one play.
Still, Bettis made the point that others have. New England had the Steelers’ signals from earlier in the season and used them against Pittsburgh to prevail.
“They had our signs and they called a timeout to get them ready for that play. Because they knew it was coming. No question in my mind. I remember vividly.”
This July, OT Barrett Brooks made the same claim, saying the Pats stole signals.
“They knew the plays before we did,” Brooks said at the time.
Pittsburgh at least earned redemption with its 2005 Super Bowl run, ending with Bettis winning a ring in his hometown of Detroit for Super Bowl XL.
Check out the entire episode below.
