So you probably know by now that the New England Patriots were found guilty of intentionally deflating the footballs they used on offense in the AFC Championship game. It supposedly gave the Patriots a competitive advantage because the ball was easier for quarterback Tom Brady to throw.
But Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer doesn’t think the deflated footballs are the reason the Patriots overwhelmed the Colts, 45-7 to advance to the Super Bowl.
“I think it was like 41-7, right?” Zimmer told NFL.com Wednesday morning before attending a Senior Bowl practice in Mobile, Alabama. “I don’t think the balls had a lot to do with it.”
That’s Zimmer in a nutshell: short, sweet and straight to the point. Other factors that might have had a little something to do with the Patriots sending the Colts home for the season could be:
- 3-of-11 on third downs
- 3 turnovers
- Andrew Luck’s 12 completions
- Andrew Luck’s 21 incomplete passes
We’re just saying…
ESPN did its best to explain the impact of a deflated football. Former NFL quarterback Mark Brunell called them a “major advantage” to the quarterback, especially wet or cold conditions.
But the Patriots should think again if they think they invented football-tampering. Ex-Viking Brad Johnson, as the story goes, was messing with footballs long before Bill Belichick and company. Read that story right here.
