Stephen Holder

stephen.holder@indystar.com

The Patriots remain infamous for their involvement in the Spygate scandal in 2007, in which they were found by the NFL to be stealing opponents' signals through prohibited videotaping methods.

Colts offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton seemed to make a not-so-veiled reference to the practice when he was asked Wednesday about his time on the New York Jets' staff from 2003-05.

"I do know for a fact that it was always a 60-minute chess match," he said. "It was ever-changing looks and disguises and they always tend to find ways to figure out some of your signals."

The scandal was one of the biggest NFL stories in recent years. It drew a $500,000 for coach Bill Belichick and a $250,000 against the Patriots franchise. Commissioner Roger Goodell also forced the Patriots to yield early-round draft picks as punishment.

Still, Hamilton did pay Belichick a compliment, saying, "It's truly an honor to have an opportunity to field a team and compete against the likes of Coach Belichick who will go down as one of the greatest coaches in the history of the National Football League."