Patriots DeflateGate 2015: Who's To Blame? Should Bill Belichick Be Suspended For Super Bowl? Brandon Browner Responds With #Inflatethis, Ravens Had No Issue

Patriots 'DeflateGate' - where 11 of the 12 game day footballs used by the New England Patriots in their 42-7 AFC Championship Game win over the Indianapolis Colts were reportedly found to be deflated to less than NFL regulation - is heating up, with analysts calling for Bill Belichick to be suspended for the NFL Super Bowl against the Seattle Seahawks, while others are calling the situation 'overblown'. Meanwhile, Patriots player Brandon Browner has told critics to #inflatethis, the Baltimore Ravens have sad they didn't notice anything the previous week, and mathematics have been used to determine if the weather had a role to play in the balls reportedly feeling deflated.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen reports that 11 of the 12 Patriots game balls were deflated, and the NFL are now investigating. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady laughed about the accusations on Monday, telling WEEI "I think I heard it all at this point. ... It's ridiculous. ... Oh, God, that's the last of my worries. I don't even respond to stuff like that."

As CBS Sports's Jason La Canfora reports, former NFL quarterbacks Rich Gannon and Boomer Esiason called the situation a "non-issue" and "totally ridiculous" respectively.

Patriot cornerback Brandon Browner became the first Pat to directly refute the 11-of-12 claims on Wednesday, tweeting out: "For my 2cents Blount scored 3 rushing touchdowns. He could've carried a beach ball. Also doesn't hurt we only gave up 7 points. #inflatethis."

For my 2cents Blount scored 3 rushing touchdowns. He could've carried a beach ball. Also doesn't hurt we only gave up 7 points #inflatethis

— Brandon Browner (@bbrowner27) January 21, 2015

His point is well made; the fact that the Patriots defense only gave up 7 points for the game had nothing to do with the balls the Patriots were using, inflated or deflated. After all, as Browner points out, with his three rushing touchdowns, running back LeGarrette Blount outscored the Colts by himself to tune of 21-7.

Biggest lingering question on #DeflateGate: How did the officials not notice something was wrong with the balls? https://t.co/FsUh0UHpxh

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) January 21, 2015

And, as Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio asks, how did the refs not notice any difference?

According to ESPN, Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh - whose team lost to the Patriots 34-31 in the Divisional round of the playoffs - didn't "notice anything" wrong with the balls when his team played the Patriots.

Coach Harbaugh responds to #DeflateGate: https://t.co/44GMpdqZmk pic.twitter.com/NTkXTCfICA — Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) January 21, 2015

Man mountain/Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, however, had his own take on the situation:

Whoops lol pic.twitter.com/uLxN7A5cpq — Rob Gronkowski (@RobGronkowski) January 20, 2015

Yahoo! Sports's Dan Wetzel, however, laid the blame squarely on the broad shoulders of Brady, pointing out that "It's not uncommon for teams to try to rig the football to the preference of their quarterbacks. Some, most notably players with bigger hands, want the ball inflated as much as possible to allow for better spirals. Others want a softer ball that's easier to grip and, on the other end, catch." He adds that "the weather and game conditions" as well as the "psychological" impact can cause influence the way the QB wants the ball.

Concludes Wetzel, "So if New England purposefully deflated 11 footballs after pregame measurements by the referees, then it was done to benefit Tom Brady."

ESPN's Jackie MacMullan meanwhile, laid the blame at the feet of coach Bill Belichick, saying that "If Belichick turns out to be a repeat offender in the skirting of the league rules, he should be suspended for the Super Bowl." She adds that even "if the Patriots beat the Seahawks 60-0 in Super Bowl XLIX, the win will be declared a tainted one by many."

What do you think? Is 'DeflateGate' overblown, especially considering that the Patriots defense held the Colts to 7 points, and LeGarrette Blount outscored them by himself? Or is the scrutiny warranted? Should they be penalized draft picks? Even more ridiculously, be disqualified from the Super Bowl? Would that be the most ridiculous thing in the history of the sport?

.@donovanjmcnabb on #DeflateGate: "Everybody just needs to relax" https://t.co/1lqse5UUBU

— FOX Sports Live (@FOXSportsLive) January 20, 2015