FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (MyFoxBoston.com) -- As deflate-gate talk reaches fever pitch, the Patriots are set to address the claims for the first time.
Several sources have reported that the Patriots used 12 under-inflated footballs during the AFC championship game against the Colts at Gillette Stadium. The issue at hand being that under inflated balls are easier to throw and catch.
Patriots fan or not, people on both sides are heated. The reactions run from those demanding the Pats be banned from the Super Bowl to former players dismissing the seriousness of the accusations.
The NFL hasn't issued a ruling, but one could come down as soon as Thursday. Bill Belichick is set to talk to reporters at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday at Gillette Stadium. It will be the first time Belichick is speaking to the media since the all of the details emerged from the investigation.
FOX 25's Butch Sterns says it is unlikely that a decision will come down on Thursday. Sterns said that, despite rumors NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was at Robert Kraft's home on Wednesday, Goodell never left New York, according to a reliable source.
Sterns said that the investigation is ongoing, and more interviews, including those with Patriots players, will be conducted on Thursday. The NFL is taking the claims very seriously, and a decision regarding consequences in unlikely to come down at Thursday's press conference.
As for a potential punishment for the Patriots, Sterns said that it isn't looking good for the team, adding that the deflate-gate claims are not being looked at as a single incident. "There's a track record here," Sterns said, citing the spygate scandal of 2007.
According to the NFL, the punishment could be anything from a $25,000 fine to stripping the team of draft picks.
Fox NFL Analyst Mike Pereira is the former head of officiating for the league and he says the Patriots should brace themselves.
"This is cheating and this is something the league doesn't want...something league will deal with harshly," Pereica said.