Category: Latest News

Report: Patriots shot 8 minutes of footage centered on Bengals’ sideline

A new report revealed some of the details regarding the Patriots-Bengals taping incident.

The latest twist in the New England Patriots taping incident involving the Cincinnati Bengals features a revelation about the nature of the video.

According to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic, the confiscated video in question features eight minutes of footage focused on the Bengals sideline:

“According to sources who have viewed the tape, it shows about eight minutes of footage focusing on recording the Bengals’ sideline. It’s a direct view of the sideline as players run on and off the field and coaches make signals for plays.”

This could dramatically shift the course of the NFL’s investigation, provided it’s what the tape shows. The Patriots had issued a statement Monday night roughly saying a team of contractors for the media side were merely shooting an internal documentary about a scout.

Events like Spygate, as well as admittedly not notifying the NFL or Bengals about credentialed access in Cleveland to shoot video, paints events in a questionable light. That the Bengals saw the video being shot and took issue, as well as the report of this eight-minute clip, further the notion of questionable behavior by the Patriots or those employed by the Patriots.

All the 1-12 Bengals can do is focus on this Sunday’s game against those Patriots while the NFL investigation works on the matter in the background.

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Patriots admit to filming Bengals sideline during Browns game

The Patriots released a statement on the taping incident.

The New England Patriots have admitted wrongdoing in the taping saga, calling the recording of the Cincinnati Bengals sideline last Sunday “an unintended oversight.”

In a statement released Monday night, the Patriots noted its content team was credentialed for the game but a team of contractors shooting footage violated the rules by training the camera on the Cincinnati sideline.

Stressing the division between the content team and football operations, the Patriots noted the following:

“The sole purpose of the filming was to provide an illustration of an advance scout at work on the road. There was no intention of using footage for any other purpose.”

The full statement:

This unexpected saga started over the weekend when a Bengals staffer alerted security in Cleveland. The NFL then swooped in and confiscated the tape. While the well-known Patriots documentary series was the subject matter, a report says the Bengals staffer saw his or her team’s sideline being recorded. Unfair or not, this unfolding of events is almost exactly what happened during Spygate.

In the statement above, the Patriots admit to the taping and will accept whatever punishment stems from it but label the events as an honest mistake. With both the Bengals and NFL in possession of the tapes, it should be a simple matter to clear up via investigation.

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NFL odds: Ravens biggest early favorites over Jets in Week 15

The Baltimore Ravens hold the biggest NFL odds spread in Week 15 when they take on the New York Jets on Thursday Night Football.

The Baltimore Ravens sit at 11-2 while the New York Jets are 5-8. Given the disparity in talent and how they’ve looked this season, it should be no surprise that oddsmakers are expecting the Ravens to win and by big. But as we enter Week 15 and Baltimore is set to host New York on Thursday night, it’s still a little shocking just how big of an odds favorite the Ravens are.

According to BetMGM, Baltimore is currently listed as 14.5-point favorites over the Jets. It’s the largest spread of the week by a whopping three points and one that’s sure to see plenty of betting action.

While it might seem like a lofty spread, oddsmakers didn’t get there with no evidence. Even counting in these last two close games, the Ravens have blown opponents out of the water since Week 7, outscoring them 246-96 over seven games (35.1-13.7 average).

Meanwhile, the Jets have won just five games this season and recently choked against the 1-11 Cincinnati Bengals and barely split their two games against the Miami Dolphins. New York has the second-worst offense and the 18th-ranked defense in points allowed.

By all history and current stats, this should be yet another blowout win for Baltimore. But as we’ve seen before, nothing in the NFL is guaranteed until it happens and overlooking an opponent before two games against division rivals would be on-brand for the Ravens. So take caution if you’re the betting type and looking at the huge spread.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Titans-Texans: Time, TV schedule and how to watch

Here is the broadcast information, as well as other important details to know about the upcoming game.

The Tennessee Titans (8-5) extended their three-game winning streak to four games as they defeated the Oakland Raiders, 42-21 on the road on Sunday.

The new-look Titans will now turn their attention to the division rival Houston Texans (8-5) in a battle for a spot atop the AFC South this week in Nashville, Tennessee.

Here is the broadcast information, as well as other important details to know about the upcoming game.

Houston Texans vs. Tennessee Titans: Sunday, Dec. 15 at 12:00 p.m. CT

TV channel: CBS

Broadcast Team: Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson

Live stream: fuboTV ( try it free)

Location: Nissan Stadium

Weather forecast: Partly cloudy, 45 degrees

Point spread: Titans, (-3.5)

Bill Belichick responds to allegations Patriots taped Bengals sideline

Bill Belichick has weighed in on the Patriots-Bengals taping saga.

It was only a matter of time before New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick had to address reports his team taped the Cincinnati Bengals sideline in Cleveland over the weekend.

In the wake of new reports revealing Bengals employees saw a Patriots camera trained on the Bengals sideline last Sunday, Belichick said the following, according to OMF on WEEI:

“Yeah I heard about this. You know, evidently this is our production people on the TV show that were there. We have nothing to do with anything they produce … I’ve never even seen their tapes. This is something we had 100% nothing to do with”

Both the NFL and the Bengals have the tapes, which were confiscated on the spot. Before the report broke about Bengals staff seeing what the camera recorded, the Patriots had said the camera crew was shooting footage for an internal documentary.

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Report: Bengals staff saw Patriots camera taping Cincinnati sideline

The Bengals alerted the NFL and have possession of the tape.

More details continue to emerge on the potential Spygate 2.0 situation involving the Cincinnati Bengals and New England Patriots.

The latest twist involves a report revealing the Bengals have the tape Patriots employees shot, as does the NFL, which is investigating the allegation that New England was in Cleveland taping Bengals coaching signals last weekend,.

According to Dianna Russini of ESPN, a Bengals employee noted the staff of Robert Kraft shooting the team sideline for the duration of the first quarter, hence alerting the NFL. The NFL confiscated the tapes and the Bengals won’t share it publicly.

The report in question:

The Patriots have tagged the situation as a misunderstanding while shooting an internal documentary. They had press credentials through the Browns but never alerted the Bengals.

In the early stages of this saga, it aligns with what reportedly unfolded during the first Spygate.

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If the Patriots’ latest videotaping incident sounds familiar, there’s a reason

What could be known as Spygate 2.0 follows a similar opener to the story.

Monday, Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor created a firestorm of speculation when stating he was aware of an NFL investigation of the New England Patriots.

The supposed incident leading to an investigation happened over the weekend during Cincinnati’s loss to Cleveland. New England had cameras in a Cleveland press box to shoot a story on a scout, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport:

This would seem like a rather innocent hiccup were it not for the surrounding details.

Namely, the initial batch of reports about what occurred in Cincinnati over the weekend sounds quite similar to extensive reporting from ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr. and Seth Wickersham on New England’s Spygate transgressions:

Sources with knowledge of the system say an advance scout would attend the games of upcoming Patriots opponents and assemble a spreadsheet of all the signals and corresponding plays. The scout would give it to Adams, who would spend most of the week in his office with the door closed, matching the notes to the tapes filmed from the sideline. Files were created, organized by opponent and by coach. During games, Walsh later told investigators, the Patriots’ videographers were told to look like media members, to tape over their team logos or turn their sweatshirt inside out, to wear credentials that said Patriots TV or Kraft Productions.

This latest thread is only in the beginning stages of being tugged and unraveled. For now, a Bengals scout noticed the Patriots filming in a press box for an internal documentary a week before the two teams link up in Week 15.

With the NFL aware of the issue and investigating, Cincinnati’s next week of prep just found its dominant storyline.

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Zac Taylor: Bengals aware NFL is investigating Patriots for potential video taping Bengals’ play calls

Are the Bengals involved in a Spygate?

At a routine Monday presser, Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor dropped an apparent bombshell by revealing he knows the NFL is investigating the New England Patriots for potentially filming play calls from the press box over the weekend.

The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. captured the scene:

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport has since provided further reports on the matter:

Rapoport’s colleague Tom Pelissero added more:

As of this writing, the incident in question pertains to Cincinnati’s loss to Cleveland over the weekend. The Bengals host the Patriots in Week 15 at 1 p.m. ET.

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Titans-Raiders: a look at offensive snap counts

Here’s a complete look at the offensive snap counts.

The Tennessee Titans (8-5) brought their winning streak to four games as they topped the Oakland Raiders (6-7) on the road, 42-21.

The game was tied at 21-21 at the half, but the offense stayed steady and the defense came alive in the second half and the team played complementary football.

Tennessee kept the momentum and maintain a comfortable lead they only continued to add to as the contest went on.

Wide receiver A.J. Brown had 52 snaps, while wideout Corey Davis totaled 47.

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Tight end MyCole Pruitt was in action on 71% of special teams snaps, while wide receiver Kalif Raymond was active on 57% and fullback Khari Blasingame was in for 54%.

Here’s a complete look at the offensive snap counts.

The Titans will face the division rival Houston Texans next at noon CT on Sunday in Nissan Stadium.

Biggest lessons learned from Bengals’ loss to Browns

Here are some top takeaways from Cincinnati’s loss to Cleveland.

Believe it or not, the Cincinnati Bengals taking a loss to the Cleveland Browns over the weekend provided some rather important takeaways.

These lessons are critical primarily because it helps to paint a better picture of offseason needs, which in turn helps shape the talent-acquisition strategy in facets like the draft.

These are a few of those important lessons learned.

 

Andy Dalton isn’t it

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton (14) sits on the bench in the fourth quarter during a Week 14 NFL football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2019, at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland. The Cleveland Browns won 27-19, and the Cincinnati Bengals fell to 1-12 on the season.

Cincinnati Bengals At Cleveland Browns 12 8 2019

Dalton had a brief spat with good play during the team’s first win of the season. He had several sharp passes and combined with simply winning a game, the performance helped to make his otherwise bad line (22 of 37) forgivable. Dalton’s line wasn’t much different in the loss to the Browns (22 of 38), except he didn’t have some of the sharpness of the prior week. On his latest pick-six of the season, he missed while throwing it too hard at Auden Tate, one of the team’s bigger targets. If nothing else, it was a strong reminder Dalton should be considered nothing more than a potential quality stopgap after taking a rooke in the first round.

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