Physicist weighs in on 'Deflate Gate' accusations - Boston News, Weather, Sports | FOX 25 | MyFoxBoston

FOXBORO, Mass. (MyFoxBoston.com) --The NFL has found that 11 of the 12 footballs the New England Patriots provided for Sunday's AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts were under-inflated, according to an ESPN report, and Wednesday we learned an under-inflated ball can bring some advantages but also some disadvantages for players. Check out the video attached for a side by side comparison to break down the difference.

The answer is clear for a lot of Patriots fans, one saying, "People love to hate the winners because you know they're jealous a little bit."

But a Wentworth Institute physicist says there are advantages and disadvantages to an under-inflated ball. In an experiment, FOX 25 inflated one within the standard and another a bit less.

Dr. James O'Brien broke down the difference, saying, "This would be the ball that is much more sturdy, a little bit harder to grip but this is the ball that would accomplish the goal of getting where it needs to be in the fastest way possible. The ball on your right, the right PSI."

"So this is the ball that I would assume most quarterbacks like Tom Brady would actually want," he said.

When asked who the under-inflating would help, O' Brien said, "If you're a running back and I'm handing you the ball, something that's a little bit softer, a little under-inflated is much easier to grip."

On the flip, under-inflation has its downfalls, which supports the theory that Pats fans can cheer for.

However, the question remains, if the Patriots did not intentionally under-inflate their footballs, what else could have caused it?

Could it have been the weather?

Gronk claims it was from a spike, but whatever the source, science can't explain the score.

According to O'Brien's calculations, the 2 pound per square inch differential means the balls were about 15 percent below what was required, so all in all not likely enough to make a significant impact on the aerodynamics or grip, he said.