Rasmussen Poll: 52 Percent Say Patriots Used Deflated Footballs

Fifty-two percent of Americans planning to watch the Super Bowl on Sunday said the New England Patriots used deflated the footballs in their AFC championship game — and a majority said that both coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady knew about it, a Rasmussen Reports survey finds.


The poll of 569 adults taken Saturday and Sunday found that 51 percent think Belichick knew something about the deflated balls used in the Patriots' 45-7 victory against the Indianapolis Colts on Jan. 18. Sixty-two percent said Brady did, too.

The Rasmussen survey results were released Tuesday. The poll has a margin of error of 4 percentage points.

Only 24 percent said they didn't believe the balls were deflated, while 23 percent were undecided.

The "deflate-gate" controversy marches on as the Patriots prepare to meet the 2014 Superbowl champs Seattle Seahawks in Arizona.

On Friday, the NFL said that its ongoing investigation had shown that New England used the underinflated balls. No judgment has yet been made, and the inquiry is continuing.

Belichick and Brady have both professed innocence, saying they knew nothing until the day after their conference victory.

League rules require game balls to be inflated at 12.5 to 13.5 pounds per square inch. No alterations are allowed once they have been approved.

Brady threw three touchdown passes against the Colts in wet conditions at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts. A firm grip on a slippery ball could have helped New England.

Whether the balls were deflated or not, however, was immaterial to New England's victory, 52 percent of Rasmussen's respondents said.

Only 27 percent said the balls had an effect, while 21 percent said they were not sure, according to Rasmussen.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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