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Patriots hire Bill Belichick as head coach, Belichick hires Eric Mangini as defensive backs coach
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Patriots defeat Steelers in AFC Championship Game. Steelers receiver Hines Ward now says the Patriots "knew a lot of our calls."
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Patriots defeat Bengals 35-28 at Gillette Stadium. Bengals coach Marvin Lewis later said his team's headsets went out during the game.
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Patriots defeat Eagles in Super Bowl. Players on the Eagles now say they were amazed at the Patriots' ability to know which defensive calls were coming.
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Patriots defeat Jaguars in playoffs. Jaguars get two delay-of-game penalties early in the game, and Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio later says, "Our coach-to-quarterback system mysteriously malfunctioned the entire first half."
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Jets hire Mangini as head coach
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Bills lose to Patriots, suspect cheating but don't report it
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Packers president Bob Harlan receives tip that Patriots use a cameraman to steal signals. Packers catch Patriots employee Matt Estrella with a camera on the sidelines and tell him to leave the sideline. Packers later catch Estrella filming from a tunnel and remove him from the stadium completely.
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Patriots beat Lions in a surprisingly close game at Gillette Stadium. Lions later say their headsets malfunctioned at key times in two consecutive offensive drives.
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Estrella caught taping Jets' defensive signals
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Belichick apologizes "to everyone who has been affected
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NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell fines Belichick $500,000, fines the Patriots $250,000 and docks the Patriots either a first-round draft pick or second- and third-round picks.