Quarterback Tom Brady speaks to the media a bit later on Thursday afternoon, but his teammates met with reporters already to field questions about the still raging inquest into how the under-inflated footballs that the Patriots used last Sunday got that way.
For the most part, they said they weren’t paying any attention to what was going on. Special teamer Matthew Slater said he’s “not aware” of what’s said outside the locker room, although he’s apparently heard enough to add that it is “unfortunate” that people weren’t celebrating the Patriots’ trip to the Super Bowl this week. Cornerback Kyle Arrington is trying to “ignore the noise” and safety Devin McCourty said neither he nor anyone else on the defense care about the ball unless it involves intercepting or stripping it from an offensive player.
Running back LeGarrette Blount plays on offense and handled the ball plenty against the Colts. He said that the ball felt normal to him and followed coach Bill Belichick’s lead in saying he knew nothing else about what might have happened.
“I don’t know what the proper inflation feeling is, but it felt like a normal ball,” Blount said, via ESPNBoston.com. “I don’t have any knowledge of it. We practice with crappier balls than what we play with. I don’t know anything about what’s going on.”
Blount also said that the team wouldn’t let the issue become a distraction before facing the Seahawks, although there’s sure to be plenty of questions about it during their daily media availabilities next week.
