The NFL informed teams that it has modified rules about what is permitted to be shown on stadium videoboards during field goals and extra points in the wake of a viral social media post that showed the New England Patriots used deceiving camera angles to try and fool kickers, according to ESPN's Mike Reiss and Adam Schefter.
The post was from Ryan Paganetti, a former analytics coach with the Philadelphia Eagles, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Las Vegas Raiders. He claims to have studied a decade of Patriots broadcasts and discovered opposing kickers at Gillette Stadium faced a reverse All-22 angle for their kicks, but the same angle was never used for the home team's attempts.
Much has been made of the Patriots’ mysterious “Pink Stripes.” How about yellow ones?
— Ryan Paganetti (@RyanPaganetti) September 2, 2026
I went through more than a decade of TV broadcasts and uncovered a diabolically clever piece of Patriots gamesmanship.
When opposing kickers lined up at Gillette Stadium, the video board… pic.twitter.com/Y5nf0F5vm6
The NFL said the Patriots weren't breaking any rules at the time, per Reiss and Schefter.
All stadium displays must now show the same All-22 angle or static image for both kicking teams in order to ensure fairness. Teams could face discipline if they don't adhere to the reinforced rules.
