Problems with the headsets that allow coaches to communicate with each other weren’t limited to the Pittsburgh Steelers in their 28-21 loss to the New England Patriots on Thursday night at Gillette Stadium.
The Patriots also had difficulties, according to head coach Bill Belichick.
“It did, yeah. We had a lot of problems,” Belichick said, via a transcript. “We had to switch headphones a couple times. The communication system wasn’t very good. We deal with that, it seems like, weekly. Yeah, they told us they were on the verge of shutting it off, but then I guess they got it working. I don’t know, but it was a problem the whole game.
“We almost had to switch helmets with Brady there at the end — couldn’t get the plays into him. It was a problem all night.”
The Steelers said they were hearing the Patriots’ radio broadcast from 98.5 The Sports Hub in their headsets for most of the first quarter, instead of being able to talk to each other, and insinuated foul play.
The NFL, which controls the headsets for both teams, issued a statement after the game, which said, in part, that the Steelers “experienced interference in their headsets caused by a stadium power infrastructure issue, which was exacerbated by the inclement weather.”
Both teams had issues with the headsets, and as frustrating as communication problems can be, they aren’t the reason why Pittsburgh started its season 0-1.
Thumbnail photo via Mark L. Baer/USA TODAY Sports Images
