The investigation into the Patriots illegal filming of the Bengals sideline has yet to be directly linked to New England’s football operations department, according to the Washington Post.
The investigation is in its final stages and could wrap up by the end of the week. However, if the report from the Post report is accurate, it would mean that Bill Belichick and his football staff would face no punishment of any kind.
In December, a video crew working for Patriots Owner Robert Kraft, traveled to Cincinnati to get footage for a feature on one of the team’s scouts. However, the crew was caught filming the Bengals sideline, which is illegal. The Patriots acknowledged that the crew violated the league rule, but asserted that the football operations department had nothing to do with it.
Should the investigation support that claim, the Patriots would likely face only a minor penalty.
“Punishment could match what has been handed out for other game-day violations in recent years; the team could be fined six figures and either have a mid-to-late-round draft pick moved back or docked altogether,” the New York Post reports. The Patriots’ original Spygate scandal in 2007 cost Belichick $500,000 and cost the team $250,000 and a first-round draft pick.”
The Patriots are set to take on the Titans Saturday night at Gillette Stadium, as part of the NFL’s Wild Card weekend. It’s the first time in ten years that the Patriots have had to play the opening round of the NFL playoffs.
Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter @themightygwinn
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