New England Patriots caught in Spygate 2.0, admit to violating NFL policy in Bengals' game

The New England Patriots are the talk of the town. Or the country rather. The last couple of weeks have seen the Patriots hog the headlines in the NFL, and not just for the absence of their winning ways. After consecutive losses against the Houston Texans and the Kansas City Chiefs, the Patriots have done themselves no favours after their latest faux pas.

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NFL: Patriots admit to NFL violation during Bengals vs Browns game

On Monday, the New England Patriots admitted to violating NFL policy by shooting video footage of the Cincinnati Bengals during the Bengals vs Browns game. The incident was brought to the attention of the NFL after a news reporter asked Bengals head coach Zac Taylor about the incident on Monday. In a statement released by the Patriots after the incident, the Super Bowl LIII winners chalked down the recording of the footage to a behind-the-scenes video series called “Do Your Job" that they have been filming through the season. However, according to NFL policy, the Patriots were required to inform the Bengals and the league of the recorded footage; a policy they admitted to violating. 

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It is unclear what action, if any, will be taken against the Patriots. The NFL refused to comment on the controversy, whereas Patriots head coach Bill Belichick denied any involvement in the recording of the footage. The Patriots are scheduled to play the Bengals in Week 15 next weekend. However, the Patriots have vehemently denied accusations that they sent the crew to the FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland to spy on the Bengals ahead of their Week 15 meeting.

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Interestingly, this is not the first time that the Patriots have been dragged into a spying controversy. In 2007, the Patriots have levied a heavy fine for videotaping New York Jets' defensive coaches' signals. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was fined a record $500,000, the largest fine imposed on a coach in NFL history for his part in the incident. The Patriots, as a team, were also hit with a $250,000 fine. 

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