Patriots coach Bill Belichick: Filming of Cincinnati Bengals 'not a football issue'

Tyler Dragon | Cincinnati Enquirer

Show Caption Hide Caption Patriots plead innocence, NFL believes investigation will be quick What I'm Hearing: Our very own Jarrett Bell spoke with the NFL to get the latest on their investigation involving the Patriots' employee who filmed during the Bengals game this past weekend.

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick was mum when asked about a team videographer taping the Bengals’ sideline for a documentary during the first quarter of the Cincinnati’s game versus the Cleveland Browns.

Belichick referred to the Patriots statement that was released Monday night.

“I think we released a statement that covers everything, so hopefully that takes care of the explanation of it,” Belichick said on a Tuesday conference call.

In the statement, the Patriots admitted the crews violated an NFL policy.

The Patriots coach reiterated that he was unaware of a team employee taping the Bengals’ sideline.

“I don’t have anything to do with this at all, whatsoever. Whatever is going on between the people involved in it and the league and all that, it’s not a football issue in any way shape or form,” Belichick said. “I have no involvement. I don’t know anything about this.”

The Patriots had a film crew at FirstEnergy Stadium for the Bengals' loss Sunday to the Browns to shoot a “Do Your Job” documentary on a scout in attendance. New England cleared it with the Browns PR department, and the film crew was credentialed for the game but did not notify the NFL or Bengals, according to a statement released Monday night. The statement acknowledged that the film crew unknowingly violated league rules by filming the field from the press box.

The Bengals approached the video crew toward the end of the first quarter and notified an NFL official inside the press box. The video production was terminated in the second quarter.

Footage gathered by the production crew was confiscated by the NFL at FirstEnergy Stadium. The league is examining the situation. Both organizations are cooperating with the investigation.