Although the New England Patriots are regarded as the greatest franchise over the last two decades with five Super Bowl titles, their success has not come without its fair share of controversy. Now, former Philadelphia Eagles coach Steve Spagnuolo can be added to the laundry list of opponents who have labeled the Pats as cheaters.
Spagnuolo was the Eagles' linebackers coach when they made it to Super Bowl XXXIX. During an appearance on Mornings With Anthony Gargano and Bob Cooney on 97.5 the Fanatic, he claims that the Patriots stole signs throughout the course of the game:
“The biggest thing we learned was make sure you have two signal callers, not one signal caller, because they may have all your signals,” Spagnuolo said, referring to the “SpyGate” scandal, in which coaching assistants under the direction of head coach Bill Belichick were caught videotaping play-calling signals from opponents’ practices.
“I remember through the course of the game Jim [Johnson] saying, ‘They’re getting our signals. They know when we’re blitzing … try to hide it.’ I remember distinctly thinking. ‘I don’t think so Jim, just concentrate on calling the game,’ ” Spagnuolo recalled. “In hindsight, he was right. When you go back and look at that tape, it was evident to us. … We believe that Tom [Brady] knew when we were pressuring him because he certainly got the ball out pretty quick.”
While Spagnuolo's comments may come off a bit salty due to the loss, it was later revealed that the Patriots had, in fact, been filming signs for years after they were caught in 2007 in what is known as the “Spygate” scandal. Despite the severity of New England's actions, the NFL essentially gave them a slap on the wrist in the form of $750,000 worth of fines from both the team and head coach Bill Belichick.
Fortunately, Spagnuolo's early findings allowed him to take precautions for the next time he squared off against the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII as the New York Giants' defensive coordinator. Needless to say, he got his revenge by pulling off one of the biggest upsets in professional sports to spoil New England's chance at a perfect season.
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