Bill Belichick is focused only on getting ready for the Super Bowl against Seattle. (Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
Bill Belichick has no time for any “Deflategate” questions, nor does it appear he will in the next two weeks.
Asked Tuesday during a conference call if the NFL has contacted him about the ongoing issue surrounding deflating footballs, Belichick deflected to the league office on Park Avenue in New York.
“Any questions on that you should talk to them about,” Belichick said.
Belichick and his coaching staff are busy right now putting together a game plan for Seattle to give to the players when they return from their two-day break on Thursday.
Belichick was asked how the team is going to handle this week in terms of how much of the game plan will be in place prior to leaving for the Super Bowl, likely on Sunday.
“We’ll work through that the next couple days and be ready for the players when they come back on Thursday. We’ll have it figured out by then,” Belichick said.
Naturally, “Deflategate” has dominated the conversation following the Patriots’ 45-7 win in the AFC championship against the Colts. It was learned earlier on Monday the NFL was looking into the matter, and now we reportedly know where it all originated.
According to Newsday, it all started following Colts linebacker D’Qwell Jackson’s interception of Tom Brady in the second quarter. Jackson gave the ball to a member of the Colts’ equipment staff who thought the ball was under-inflated. The staff member then told coach Chuck Pagano.
Colts general manager Ryan Grigson, who was sitting in the press box at Gillette Stadium, was then notified and he contacted NFL director of football operations Mike Kensil. Kensil then notified the officials on the field at halftime. The Patriots went onto score 21 third quarter points on their way to their 38-point romp.
It’s worth noting each team uses their own balls, so the Patriots have their own and the Colts have their own, rotating them when each offense is on the field.
Tom Brady laughed the accusation off on Dennis & Callahan Monday morning, and Bill Belichick didn’t have much comment on a conference call later in the day.
“We would cooperate fully with whatever the league asks us, wants us to do.” Belichick said Monday. “I didn’t know anything about it [until Monday] morning.”
