A production crew for the New England Patriots inappropriately filmed the field and sideline during Sunday’s game between the Bengals and Browns in Cleveland.
The Browns credentialed the crew to shoot video for a Patriots web series called “Do You Job.” However, the Pats didn’t inform the Bengals or the NFL. The Patriots released the following statement on Monday night:
Statement from the New England Patriots. pic.twitter.com/rhXdwVvnr8
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) December 10, 2019
The league has a copy of the video and has launched an investigation.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor was asked about the Patriots having a videographer in the press box on Sunday and taping the sideline. He said he was unaware of the incident but confirmed the NFL is investigating.
A Bengals employee flagged media relations and security staff after discovering a videographer was shooting the sidelines.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick told WEEI on Monday that his team’s football operations has nothing to do with the production side and their scouts know you can’t film at games.
“They 100% know. All of our scouts, all of our video people and everything, they know what that is,” Belichick said h/t ESPN. “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.
“As I understand it, they were videotaping him, trying to show kind of what an advance scout does, or something like that, I don’t know. You’ll have to wait to see the show I guess and see how it’s presented.”
The Patriots were forced to forfeit their 2008 first-round draft pick as punishment for videotaping the New York Jets’ defensive playcalls on the sideline during a 2007 game at Giants Stadium, won by New England 38-14. Belichick was fined $500,000 and the team was fined $250,000 for the incident.
The 10-3 Patriots will play the 1-12 Bengals on Sunday.
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