Falcons head coach Raheem Morris publicly accused the Patriots defense of illegally simulating his team’s snap count by clapping during a critical fourth-quarter play of Sunday’s game.
Morris said the incident occurred when the Falcons trailed 24-23 and were positioned at the Patriots’ 48-yard line with 2:09 remaining.
According to Morris, the Patriots clapped to mimic the signal for the snap, prompting the Falcons’ center to snap the ball early, leading to an intentional grounding penalty on Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr.
“They were clapping and simulated our snap,” Morris told reporters. “That’s why the ball got snapped early and Mike wasn’t ready for the snap.”
Penix also weighed in on the controversy.
“Whenever I’m clapping, that means I want the ball, and [Neuzil] said he heard them clapping [and] he thought it was my clapping. He snapped the ball, I threw the ball in [Pitts’] direction. He had just released on routes. I thought I was going to be OK with the grounding part, but obviously that wasn’t the case.”
The play effectively ended the Falcons’ chance to tie or take the lead, with the penalty pushing them back into a punt.
The final score remained 24-23 for a Patriots victory.
According to NFL rules, a defense simulating the offense’s snap count is a 15-yard penalty categorized under “disconcerting signals,” though such calls are rare due to the difficulty of determining intent or timing in live play.
Patriots defensive tackle Milton Williams denied the accusation, according to ESPN, saying, “I ain’t hear no clap. I’m looking at the ball. The ball moves, I’m gone.”
The win for New England elevates them to 7-2 on the season.
The Falcons dropped to 3-5.
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