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Deflategate: 11 of 12 AFC Championship game balls under-inflated, NFL says

The NFL has determined almost every game ball provided by New England for the AFC Championship game was under inflated

Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports

Here we go again.

Sources familiar with the situation have determined 11 of the 12 game balls provided by the New England Patriots for the AFC Championship game were under-inflated by nearly two pounds each, according to Chris Mortensen of ESPN.

The league is reportedly "angry, distraught and disappointed" over the situation, with NFL officials concluding part of their findings on Tuesday.

The investigation is ongoing, and it is still unclear how the deflation occurred and who was responsible. The officiating crew must inspect and approve all game balls two hours and 15 minutes prior to kickoff. After inspection, the balls are returned to the respective teams, and any alteration from that point on is prohibited.

The scope of "DeflateGate" is still unclear, as is the punishment the Patriots face if found guilty in the probe. The league has a variety of sanctions at its disposal, including fines and the forfeiture of draft picks, depending the severity of the infractions.

A team spokesman said the Patriots are cooperating fully with the NFL in the investigation.