How Fair is the National Football League? Is the NFL Fixed?

As a sports fan, a question always goes through your head at least once in your life, if not more often…“Is this sport I’m watching rigged or fixed?”

This year seems to be the case once again, but with proof behind it. Youtuber Pete’s Odyssey has done his research and has turned me into a firm believer that this 2017 NFL season was fixed.

The AFC Champion New England Patriots, during the span of 4 games before the AFC Championship had only committed 16 penalties for 100 yards. The Patriots opponent, on the other hand,  had committed 29 penalties for a total of 300 yards. New England also managed to have 2 touchdowns reversed.

The Patriots have been known to be a team that cheats ever since Spygate. The Pats video tapped their opponents secretly and studied film so they can pick up on signals. When New England faced the Pittsburgh Steelers for a second time during the 2007 season, the Patriots were able to guess about to 75% of the Steelers plays accurately. Spygate was a major scandal that took place but NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell destroyed the Spygate tapes because in his eyes it was the right thing to do.

Goodell and Patriots owner Robert Kraft maintain a very well known friendship even before the NFL. During the 2015 season, the Patriots were caught for cheating once again. This time around the Patriots were caught deflating footballs making them easier to throw. Since Goodell botched the Spygate scandal the NFL commissioner had no choice but to suspend Tom Brady for four games. When Goodell suspended Brady many believed that the relationship between Goodell and Kraft had been seized. Kraft “attacked” Goodell for suspending Tom Brady but in a statement, Kraft said that he might have gone too far and that Goodell had to do it for the fans. Making it seem as if the Goodell and Kraft rivalry was scripted.

During the 2017 season once Dallas Cowboys Ezekiel Elliott was suspended twice in the season and Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones threatened to sue the NFL and would force the league to not renew the contract of Goodell. Kraft advised Jones not to threaten Goodell and his contract extension. Showing that Kraft and Goodell are both on the same page.

This NFL season saw a major dip in ratings because of the National Anthem Protests and because of that viewers choose not to tune in. After the week 3 protest, Robert Kraft stated that he feels they should respect the flag and anthem and nobody protested the Anthem from that point on for New England. The NFL lost 20% of their viewers because of the protests.

No player that played in Super Bowl LII has protested the National Anthem since Week 12.

The Patriots had 4 questionable touchdown calls in their favor:
Week 3– Brady throws a TD to Cooks but it appears that the ball hits the ground (incomplete pass), play reviewed but was no overturned.
Week 6– Against the Jets, Austin Seferian Jenkins looks to have scored a TD but the play was overturned even though the ball never came out and he never lost possession. Ruled a touchback for the Pats and they get the ball back
Week 15– Big Ben to Jesse James looks to be a TD that gives the Steelers the lead. James crosses the plane but ruled an incomplete pass and is not a TD.
Week 16– Bills Kelvin Benjamin looks to have a TD going into the half but the call was overturned even though possession was maintained and both feet were in. A former NFL official says that the call shouldn’t have been overturned.

During the Steelers vs Patriots game, the Patriots had 0 significant penalties but the Steelers had 3 significant penalties that stopped 3 drives. Without a penalty, New England only managed to stop Pittsburgh once throughout the whole game.
*11 days after the Patriots defeated the Steelers, Goodell had his contract extension in which Kraft had the say so in*

In the divisional round game against the Titans, a false start call was called a few minutes before half but the call was reversed (for the first time ever) and then the Titans were penalized. New England was punting at 4th and 5 then moved back to 4th and 10, and then ended up getting a first down.

During the AFC Championship Game, the Patriots only had 1 penalty called against them for 10 yards but the Jaguars had 6 penalties for 98 yards. Along with some more blown calls but the officials.

The Patriots were called for 1 penalty against the Jaguars

It is the fewest penalties called on one team in a playoff game since the 2011 AFC Championship… when the Patriots were called for 1 penalty in a win over the Ravens

— NFL Research (@NFLResearch) January 21, 2018

If you would like to watch the video of the breakdown as to how the NFL has allowed the Patriots to cheat you can watch below