I’m a pats fan ... so this statement is not in my interest ... my understanding is that each team supplies 12, and they use their own on offense. So it’s not a ‘both teams used them’ thing.
That said, the refs inspect them and hold them (this whole conversation is just wrong) after every single play. So it’s kind of like robbing a jewelry store by asking the police to carry the diamonds out for you.
The NFL is a business that plays for its customers. There are more customers in the north east than in Indiana.