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The Spygate controversy that surrounded early parts of the New England Patriots' run to six Super Bowl titles still leaves a bitter taste in some of their biggest opponents' mouths from that hallowed timeframe.
Many former NFL players have spoken out against the Patriots over the issue, with some believing they were cheated out of big wins as a result. The latest former player to feel that way is ex-Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Barrett Brooks, who discussed the 2004 AFC Championship Game—in which the Patriots beat the Steelers 41-27—while appearing on the “Legal Hands To The Face” podcast
That game wasn't as close as the score indicated, though, as New England's defense dominated in the first half, giving up just three points to the Steelers. Brooks recalled some moments early in that game that made him think the Patriots gained an illegal advantage, leading to a New England win.
“I can remember going into the game, and they knew the plays before we did,” Brooks said. “I can hear all of those guys, Rodney Harrison say, ‘Draw, draw, draw, draw, draw.’ And then Ben comes in, he calls a draw play and I’m like, ‘What is going on?’ Teddy Bruschi knowing the play, ‘Hey, hey, hey—they’re going to sprint to the right, sprint to the right.’
“And then moving an entire defense over because they knew our plays before it happened. So yeah, they cheated me out of a—I should have two Super Bowls now. We were supposed to be in that Super Bowl against the Eagles. This was all Pennsylvania Super Bowl.”
Whenever I think I’m over Spygate… 😡 Former Pittsburgh Steelers & Philadelphia Eagles player Barrett Brooks explains how bad it was. Are the New England Patriots cheaters? #spygate #nfl pic.twitter.com/ao6KAvJvJu
— Bill Colarulo (@BillColarulo) July 7, 2023
That game was rough for the Steelers' offense from the jump. Ben Roethlisberger threw three interceptions, including one on the game's opening drive and another later in the first half that Harrison returned for a touchdown. They also fumbled on the game's second possession, allowing the Patriots to take an early 10-0 lead.
Of course, the NFL ultimately found no wrongdoing with way New England taped opposing teams' signals until 2007. The New York Jets accused the Patriots of taping their signals from the sidelines during their Week 1 matchup that season. The Patriots lost their first-round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, while the franchise was fined $1 million and Bill Belichick was fined $500,000.
It should also be mentioned that the Patriots have had great success against the Steelers since Belichick became head coach in 2000. New England is 10-4 against Pittsburgh under Belichick, winning all three playoff matchups between the two teams.
