Despite what most pundits believe, Tom Brady didn't do this to himself. The Baltimore Ravens did.
From the fallout of the four-game suspension against Brady for his role in Deflategate during the AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell upheld on Tuesday, the Los Angeles Times said that the Ravens set up the New England Patriots quarterback.
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According to Times columnist Bill Plaschke:
"This entire mess was fueled by what happened in the bowels of New England's Gillette Stadium, in the press conference room, after the Patriots defeated the Baltimore Ravens in an AFC divisional game, 35-31. Brady had led his team back from a 14-point deficit while directing a four-linemen-and-one-skill-player formation that has since been ruled illegal.
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"The Patriots had skirted the rules, pushed the envelope and outsmarted the Ravens. Yet that wasn't enough for Brady. After hearing Ravens coach John Harbaugh complain, Brady kicked the Ravens while they were down.
"Maybe those guys gotta study the rule book and figure it out," Brady said at the time.
"The quote and the attitude were apparently too much for the Ravens to bear. Soon after, the Ravens reportedly tipped off the Indianapolis Colts about the possibility that Brady was using underinflated footballs, an allegation which was proven when officials tested the ball at halftime of the AFC Championship game in which the Patriots defeated the Colts, 45-7."
If the Ravens are responsible for Brady's offseason turmoil, he is responsible for being penalized a quarter of the season, rather than one or two games, profootballtalk.nbcsports.com reports.
"Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the NFL was willing to drop the suspension by 'at least 50 percent' if Brady: (1) admitted to having knowledge of whatever John Jastremski and Jim McNally were doing to the footballs; (2) admitted to failing to cooperate with the Ted Wells investigation; and (3) apologized," Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio reported.
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Florio added that Brady still has a chance to get his suspension reduced if he shows contrition for his actions.
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