As the Giants help the NFL sweep Deflategate 2 under the rug, the Giants themselves are now the subjects of the next league investigation: Walkie-talkiegate.
The league is expected to fine the Giants for using walkie-talkies in violation of NFL rules during Sunday night’s win over the Cowboys, the New York Post reports.
During the game, the Giants’ coach-to-quarterback system malfunctioned, and quarterback Eli Manning couldn’t hear coach Ben McAdoo calling plays. So McAdoo used a walkie-talkie to communicate to the speakers in Manning’s helmet. That’s against league rules, because the NFL has to ensure that no communication is being made to the quarterback once less than 15 seconds remain on the play clock.
When the Cowboys saw McAdoo with a walkie-talkie, they asked the NFL to investigate. Cowboys Executive V.P. Stephen Jones said, “it’s obvious to everybody what happened, and my understanding is it’s being looked into and handled.”
The NFL has been so inconsistent in the way it handles rules violations that there’s really no telling what the league might do about this latest issue. A full-blown Ted Wells investigation seems unlikely, but if the Giants did break the rules, the NFL should act. If it doesn’t, it will be hard to escape the perception that the Giants are getting away with something.