Latest Regarding NFL’s Investigation Into Patriots’ Video

Update:

Mark Maske of the Washington Post reports that the NFL hopes to move quickly with the investigation of the Patriots’ video and a resolution is possible this week.

According to Maske, a consideration for the NFL is whether the video shows anything that couldn’t have been seen on TV or on the coaches’ tape.

Ian Rapoport gets the sense that the NFL feels inclined to believe the Patriots and their intentions for videotaping the Bengals. However, that doesn’t mean there won’t be a penalty that could possibly amount to a fine.

Sources who have viewed the Patriots’ recording tell Paul Dehner Jr of The Athletic that the video shows about eight minutes of footage focusing on recording the Bengals’ sideline.

According to Dehner Jr, it’s a direct view of the sideline as players run on and off the field and coaches make signals for plays.

The Patriots issued the following statement regarding the videotaping incident that occurred last weekend at the game between the Browns and Bengals:

Statement from the New England Patriots. pic.twitter.com/rhXdwVvnr8

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) December 10, 2019

Patriots HC Bill Belichick said during an interview with WEEI that “we 100 percent have zero involvement in this.”

“I heard about this and evidently this is our production people on the TV show that were there and I have absolutely nothing to do, we have absolutely nothing to do with anything that they produce or direct or shoot,” Belichick said, via NFL.com. “I have never even seen any of their tapes or anything else. This is something that we 100 percent have zero involvement with. This is something you’d have to talk to the production people about and what they were doing, or whatever it was. We have never seen anything that they’ve shot, other than what has come down on TV.

“As I understand it, they were videotaping him to show kind of what an advanced scout does, or something like that.”

“A scout can’t film the opponents, as an advanced scout,” Belichick added. “Our video people are not even allowed to point the camera at our opponents during pregame warmup or their side of the field or anything else to test out their equipment. They 100 percent know, all of our scouts, all of our video people and everything, absolutely know what that is. Again, I have nothing to do with the TV production shows. I have no idea what they do, what their projects are or anything else.”

Tom Pelissero reports that the Bengals were concerned about the videographer hired by the Bengals filming their bench area. A source who has seen the footage tells Pelissero that there’s footage of coaches signaling.

• An NFL Security questioned the videographer and Patriots’ scout, who said it’s a B-roll for their documentary. Pelissero adds that the NFL has received a complaint and is looking into it.
• Dianna Russini spoke to a source who mentioned that a Bengals’ employee was watching the videographer/cameraman, who identified himself as a Robert Kraft employee. According to Russini, the shot was of the Bengals’ coaches and staff on the sidelines for the entire first quarter.
• Russini mentions that the Bengals’ employee flagged media relations and their security staff then interviewed the Kraft videographer, which was also taped. The cameraman asked if they could just delete the footage and it all be forgotten.
• Russini explains that while most plays are radioed in, there are some advantages to filing a sideline of a first-year coaching staff, as adjustments to the base play are made by signaling. 
• The Bengals declined to release the tape to Russini. 
• Per Russini, there was a guy interviewing a Patriots’ pro scout before the game but this ended when the game started.

According to Dianna Russini, Bengals HC Zac Taylor said they were aware of allegations a Patriots’ employee was in the Cincinnati press box filming the Bengals sideline on Sunday. 

Taylor said he had no comment but that the league office was aware of the situation. Russini confirmed the NFL is, in fact, investigating the matter.

Here’s a statement from the Bengals:

“We are aware of the incident, and we are aware it is being investigated by NFL Security. We will have no further comment.”

A source tells Doug Kyed that the Patriots had a camera crew in Cleveland this weekend that was credentialed by the Browns to shoot a documentary on a scout that was watching the Bengals-Browns game. According to Kyed, New England cleared it with the Browns and have since turned the footage over to the NFL and are fully cooperating with their investigation. 

Kyed adds that the Patriots were only filming the scout in the press box, but the Bengals reported the incident to the NFL. 

Albert Breer mentions that the issue is that neither the Bengals nor the league was informed of this ahead of time and Cincinnati officials found it strange when a Patriots videographer was setting up a tripod and shooting down to the field.

Per Breer, the Bengals were concerned that the Patriots’ videographer was shooting Cincinnati’s bench area and reported it to the NFL. 

This is reportedly a part of the Patriots’ “Do Your Job” series that previously featured a college scout this past spring.

The Bengals play the Patriots this coming week. 

We’ll have more on this situation as the news is available.