Because they didn’t play by the rules. It all makes sense now. Tug Job Bob did what the league was desperate for. Broke the law. A legal issue outside of football. Now the league had something on the Pats. Play ball this year or you are done, suspended or worse. Spygate, Deflategate etc were all punishments to a team that wasn’t playing by the rules. Which is why everyone else gets slaps on the wrist for worse and multiple violations. BB said F you because he could.
Again, it was multiple people from friends to strangers who thought the Miami game and the Tennesee game were “did they really even try to win” games which made me think.