The NFL says its investigation into whether the New England Patriots used underinflated footballs in the AFC championship game is ongoing after a report Tuesday night claimed the league found 11 balls were not properly inflated. Wade Boggs Jersey .Troy Vincent, the NFLs executive vice-president for football operations, told The Associated Press that the investigation is currently underway and were still awaiting findings.Vincent was responding to an ESPN report that cited anonymous league sources saying 11 of the Patriots 12 allotted game footballs were underinflated by 2 pounds per square inch of air. ESPN did not say how that occurred.Vincent said earlier Tuesday he expected the probe to be concluded by the end of the week. The last thing the NFL wants after a difficult season off the field is a potential cheating scandal that disrupts Super Bowl week. New England faces Seattle on Feb. 1 in Glendale, Arizona.The Patriots, who beat Indianapolis 45-7 for the AFC title, said they were co-operating with the league, and a Seahawks spokesman said the team would defer to the league on the matter.The NFL began looking into the issue not only because doctoring the footballs could provide a competitive advantage, but because it would compromise the integrity of the game.Deflating a football can change the way its gripped by a player or the way it travels through the air. Some quarterbacks and receivers prefer balls with less air or more air than the standard.Under NFL rules, each team provides balls each game for use when its offence is on the field. The balls are inspected before the game by the officiating crew, then handled during the game by personnel provided by the home team.Social media responses were quick late Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning.11 of 12 balls under-inflated can anyone spell cheating!!! #Just Saying was the tweet from Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice.So we get to play the game again or nah? ?? tweeted Colts cornerback Darius Butler.Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said on ESPN radio in Milwaukee that he didnt like how referees handle the balls. If balls come in over-inflated, the referees take some air out.I have a major problem with the way it goes down, to be honest with you, Rodgers said. The majority of the time, they take air out of the football. I think that, for me, is a disadvantage.Rodgers said referees have a set range in which they like to set game balls, and that he always liked the higher end of the range because of his grip.I just have a hard time throwing a flat football, Rodgers said. He thought a slight majority of quarterbacks like footballs on the flatter side.My belief is that there should be a minimum air-pressure requirement but not a maximum, Rodgers said. Theres no advantage, in my opinion. Were not kicking the football. Theres no advantage in having a pumped-up football.Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said the investigation is the least of his worries. And tight end Rob Gronkowski tweeted a photo of himself spiking the ball with the words: WARNING GRONKING MAY CAUSE DEFLATION.Patriots coach Bill Belichick on Tuesday deferred questions about the investigation, saying reporters should ask league officials. Belichick earlier said he wasnt aware there was an issue until Monday morning and promised to co-operate fully with whatever the league wants us to, whatever questions they ask.Belichick, of course, was fined $500,000 in 2007 for having an assistant spy on the New York Jets defensive signals.Special teams captain Matthew Slater said the Patriots try to do things the right way. We work hard at our jobs, our professions, to be successful and its unfortunate that things like this come up, but thats life, thats the world we live in.Colts coach Chuck Pagano said he did not notice issues with the football and didnt specify when asked whether the Colts had reported the issue to officials.We talk just like they talk to officials (before the game), he said. We have an opportunity to talk to the officials about a lot of things.Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman said the balls didnt feel different than usual.And defensive tackle Vince Wilfork seemed amused by the matter and didnt shed any light on it.I dont know anything about that, he said. I dont touch footballs. I tackle people.___AP Sports Writers Howard Ulman, Tim Booth and Genaro C. Armas contributed to this report.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/AP_NFL Matt Duffy Jersey . The All-Pro left tackle agreed to a five-year contract with the Eagles on Wednesday. Peters was signed for 2014, and his new deal adds four years through 2018. Adeiny Hechavarria Jersey . Mats Zuccarello and Derek Stepan scored shootout goals, and backup goalie Cam Talbot earned his second win in two nights as the Rangers shook off a late tying tally and beat the Maple Leafs 2-1 Monday night. http://www.cheapraysjerseys.com/ . They showered him with "MVP! MVP!" chants. In many ways, it seemed like hed never been gone.THE FORMATIONS Toronto FC lined up in a 4-4-2 formation, as it did last weekend in its 2-1 victory over the Seattle Sounders. There was one change to TFCs starting XI, as designated player, Gilberto, made his debut in a Toronto jersey, replacing Dwayne De Rosario up front. DC United named an unchanged lineup from their 3-0 loss to the Columbus Crew on the opening weekend of the season (DC had a bye last weekend). Head coach Ben Olsen again chose to line up his team in a 4-4-2 diamond formation. (Click for larger) THE GAME Toronto FCs home debut wasnt pretty. Not because the players on display were poor, but because the pitch simply wasnt ready for soccer. That is not the fault of the BMO Field grounds crew though, who did an admirable job getting the surface prepared for the game. But after the coldest winter in recent memory, it was always going to be an impossible task to turn the playing surface into the lush carpet that players come to expect. While DC United boss Ben Olsen said the pitch "was as bad as Ive ever seen in MLS", it didnt stop the players from trying to play. But the bobbly surface, which cut up as the game wore on, made it virtually impossible for the players to string long sequences of passes together. Despite the difficult conditions (it was also cold and windy down on the pitch), there were some glimpses of what lies ahead for the long-suffering fans of Toronto FC. The partnership between Jermain Defoe and Gilberto looks to be very promising. Defoes movement in the final third was exceptional, and he had a number of chances in the first half to break the deadlock. In Gilberto, Defoe has a partner who can serve as his perfect foil. The Brazilian was comfortable dropping deep to receive the ball, didnt shy away from the physical battle, and once he had the ball at his feet, was willing to drive at the back four or play the role of provider. Michael Bradley was again a dominant force in midfield, and his partnership with Jonathan Osorio is also reason for optimism. They can both get caught ahead of the ball at times (as they did in Seattle last week for the Sounders goal) but that is due more to their lack of familiarity than to any tactical negligence. The early signs are that these two players will be very influential for Toronto FC. At the back, TFC looked comfortable all game. Both Doneil Henry and Steven Caldwell had strong games, with Henry winning everything in the air. In Eddie Johnson and Fabian Espindola, DC United have two very experienced front men, but Henry and Caldwell thwarted everything that the pair could throw their way. THE TURNING POINT Only one goal separated the teams at the final whistle, and it came from great work from Torontos three designated players. Apparently, you do get what you pay for. On the hour mark, Bradley picked up a square ball from Osorio in midfield, took one touch and floated a perfectly weighted pass into the path of Gilberto, who haad made a great run in behind DC Uniteds central defender, Jeff Parke. Kevin Kiermaier Jersey. (Click for larger) Gilberto settled the ball with a perfect first touch, and as the covering defender, Bobby Boswell, was closing him down, fired a right-footed shot on target. Look at the positional awareness of Defoe when Gilberto is shooting; he put himself in the ideal position to pick up the rebound. He didnt charge in full-speed towards goal; instead, he held his run so that he could adjust his position, which gave him the best possible chance of recovering the ball. (Click for larger) DC United goalkeeper, Bill Hamid, did very well to parry the hard, low shot from Gilberto. Bobby Boswell tried to hack the ball clear, but Defoe, who had taken up the ideal position inside the penalty area, intercepted his clearance. (Click for larger) From there, Defoe did what he does best. He took one touch to set himself and one touch to fire the ball into the back of the net. THE POSITIVES In a scrappy game, it was encouraging to see the developing partnerships all over the pitch for Toronto FC. The strength of this team is its spine: Defoe-Gilberto / Bradley-Osorio / Caldwell-Henry / Julio Cesar is as good a spine as any team in MLS. If those players can stay healthy (and not miss too many games due to this summers World Cup), Toronto FC fans can look forward to playoff soccer for the first time in the clubs history. Defoe was a class apart against DC United. His movement to pull off the shoulders of the DC United defenders was something that all aspiring strikers should watch over and over again. But I thought that 20-year old Henry was immense for TFC. Ive said it before (and I promise you, Ill be saying it again) - Henry is going to be a real player. THE NEGATIVES Jackson had a game to forget, and I suspect that he could be getting a call from the Leagues Disciplinary Committee. In the 50th minute, Jackson was booked for an altercation with DC Uniteds Davy Arnaud. While the referee cautioned Jackson on the play, I think that video evidence will show that Jackson intentionally elbowed Arnaud off the ball – which could draw a suspension similar to the one received by Seattles Clint Dempsey for striking TFCs Mark Bloom last weekend. THE STAR MAN With three goals in his first two games in MLS, Defoe is off to a flying start for Toronto FC. Goals get the headlines – and rightly so – but it was Defoes overall play that was so impressive. His movement and finishing ability are superb, and if his teammates can continue to deliver him good service, it is quite possible that Defoe will sit atop the leagues scoring chart come the end of the season. Never before has Toronto FC started the season with two victories. But a major investment in better players is paying dividends early on for TFC as they sit joint top of the Eastern Conference standings with maximum points from their first two games. ' ' '