Ted Johnson’s surprising response to Patriots’ 2004 AFC Championship cheating claims
Two Steelers players have accused Bill Belichick of using tricks to help the Patriots reach the Super Bowl, nearly 20 years after the 2004 AFC Championship Game in which the Patriots beat the Steelers 41-27 at Heinz Field.
FOXBORO, MA – NOVEMBER 03: Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers greets Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots following the game at Gillette Stadium on November 3, 2013 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)
In the latest episode of the “Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger” podcast, Ben Roethlisberger and Jerome Bettis talked about that conference title game. They believed that the Patriots always seemed to be a step ahead of the Steelers during crucial moments in the game.
Ben Roethlisberger and Jerome Bettis say the Patriots stole their signs and cheated in the 2004 AFC Championship Game.
— Jarrett Bailey (@JBaileyNFL) September 25, 2023
🎥: Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger pic.twitter.com/ng5JKhkEmF
According to Bettis, the Patriots were able to anticipate their play during the timeout because they knew the Steelers’ signals. He mentioned that typically, defensive captains go to the sideline during timeouts, and in this case, they pulled a player named Ted Washington to the sideline. Bettis believed this was suspicious and thought the Patriots had figured out their play.
However, it’s worth noting that Ted Washington wasn’t even on the 2004 Patriots roster, and Bettis actually fumbled on that play.
Was he talking about 98.5 The Sports Hub’s very own Ted Johnson?
During this morning’s Toucher & Rich radio program, Teddy J responded.
“They’ve been saying that for a long time about that 2004 AFC Championship game. I don’t know anything about that stuff. I swear. I’ve never heard anything about that. Would I put it past Bill to try and get an edge somewhere? No.”
When asked about signals, Ted Johnson denied any knowledge and clarified that it was him, not Ted Washington, who went to the sideline during that game. He also mentioned that Bill Belichick made an adjustment and shared some information with him, which he preferred to keep private.
WATCH HERE:
