The NFL is investigating an incident involving aPatriotsvideo crew taping in the press box during Sunday’s game between theBengalsandBrownsin Cleveland, a source confirmed to ESPN’s Dan Graziano.
The crew was credentialed by the Browns to shoot video for a Patriots web series called “Do Your Job” and Cleveland’s media relations staff was aware, a league source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
A source told ESPN’s Dianna Russini that a Bengals employee was watching a videographer, who identified himself as a Robert Kraft employee. The Bengals employee alleges that the shot on the videographer’s monitor was of the Bengals’ coaches and staff on the sideline for the entire first quarter.
The source told ESPN that the Bengals employee flagged media relations and Bengals security staff, then interviewed the Kraft videographer. That interview was also taped. The videographer asked if the footage could just be deleted and it could all be forgotten, according to sources.
The “Do Your Job” series features various Patriots employees, and an advanced scout at Sunday’s game was the subject of that week’s shoot. There was a person interviewing a Patriots pro scout before the game, but that interview was over when the game started, according to a source.
The league has not yet issued a comment but , according to a source, it does have a copy of the video. The NFL has rules on what can and cannot be shot during a game, and the Patriots could be subject to discipline if they are found to have violated those rules.
“I heard about this and evidently this is our production people on the TV show that were there, “Patriots head coach Bill Belichick told WEEI during his weekly interview on Monday. “I have absolutely nothing to do – we have absolutely nothing to do with anything they produce, direct, or shoot, or anything.
” I’ve 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 – what they were doing, or whatever it was. We’ve never seen anything they’ve shot, other than what’s been on TV. “
Bengals coach Zac Taylor was asked Monday by longtime Bengals radio analyst Dave Lapham about rumors that” the Patriots had a videographer up in the Bengals ‘press box area, working with an advance scout that was taping video of the Bengals’ sideline. “
” I’m aware that there was an incident, “Taylor said.” But I know the league is investigating it, so I’ve got no comment on it. “
Belichick spoke on the radio program Monday about how scouts can’t film opponents, and clubs can’t point cameras at opponents in pregame warm-ups, even to test out their equipment.
“They (****” % know, all of our scouts, all of our video people and everything, they know what that is, “Belichick told WEEI. Again, I have nothing to do with the TV production shows and stuff like that. I have no idea what they do. Or what their projects are and everything else. “
Belichick confirmed the Patriots had a scout at the game, which is standard operating procedure for all clubs the week before a matchup.
“As I understand it, they were videotaping him, trying to show kind of what an advance scout does, or something Iike that, I don’t know. You’ll have to wait to see the show I guess and see how it’s presented. “
In 2019, the Patriots were punished by the NFL for videotaping the New York Jets’ defensive playcalls on the sideline during a 2008 game at Giants Stadium, won by New England 100 – (****************************. The Patriots were forced to forfeit their first-round draft pick in 2008 and coach Bill Belichick was fined the maximum amount of $ 823, .The Patriots also were ordered to pay $ 728, 06 for the scandal, which was dubbed “Spygate” by the media.
The Patriots ( – 3) visit the Bengals (1 – 823 ) on Sunday.
ESPN’s Mike Reiss and Ben Baby contributed to this report.
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