By now, you’ve likely heard about the Patriots’ latest controversy known as Deflategate, where it came out that 11 of the Patriots’ 12 game balls during their AFC championship victory over the Colts were underinflated. For those non-football fanatics, this is a major violation since underinflating the balls makes them easier to grip, pass, and catch. The reaction to the supposed cheating scandal has been mixed – some calling for the Patriots’ disqualification and others claiming it’s no big deal, that tampering with footballs is a hush-hush but widespread practice.

Whatever side you’re on, the aftermath – especially from a PR perspective – has been amusing to say the least. In a series of press conferences and public statements, Patriots’ management laughed it off at times and showed anger at others. All of the fumbled handling of the scandal provides interesting takeaways for PR pros and companies facing their own crises. Here are a few dos and don’ts of dealing with a PR controversy, courtesy of the Patriots:

Do address the issue at hand. Early on, Patriots’ head coach Bill Belichick addressed the issue by telling reporters, “We’ll cooperate fully with whatever the league wants, whatever questions they ask, whatever they want us to do.” This was a smart statement in showing attention to the issue while not admitting fault. In any PR crisis, it’s important to not avoid the issue altogether, as this often implies guilt or lack of concern. I’d like to say Belichick continued to do a good job of this, but later on he began making confusing statements or deflecting questions entirely – a poor strategy that ultimately led to the #Belicheat hashtag.

Don’t try to be an expert where you’re not. In an impromptu press conference last Saturday, Belichick led us through a long-winded lesson on how weather and the “rubbing process” can affect the inflation level of the balls, drawing confusion and even ridicule. In an interesting twist, even scientist Bill Nye chimed in at one point to claim Belichick’s statements made no sense. While Belichick’s efforts to explain the issue are commendable, the comments only caused further speculation and served to discredit him as a reliable source of information. Instead, stick to what you know and leave the technical stuff for the experts.

Do gather all of the facts. One of the most frustrating aspects about the entire Deflategate scandal has been the lack of facts. And not just the lack of facts, but that the Patriots’ reps have attempted to talk about the issue at length anyway, despite not having them. Until all of the facts have been gathered and, in this case, the investigation completed, it’s not wise to make assuming or inflammatory statements. This risks undermining your credibility, especially if the facts eventually do come out and refute your previous claims. Instead, make your first step in dealing with any PR crisis to collect and analyze all of the facts of the situation.

Don’t play the blame game. Since the controversy came to light, accusations have been hurled in all directions, with speculation flying on social media, in the press, and among the league. Players in the scandal, such as Belichick, Patriots’ chairman and CEO Robert Kraft, and quarterback Tom Brady, have at times been both victim and aggressor in this blame game. Unfortunately, rather than distancing yourself from the situation, denying any involvement and pointing the finger at others ultimately only makes you look bad. In the midst of a crisis, avoid any “he said, she said” to protect your image.

Do defend yourself. All this is not to say that organizations facing controversies shouldn’t stand up for themselves. If genuinely not at fault, it’s important to say so – after gathering the facts, of course, and in a way that maintains composure and concern for the weight of the issue. The problem for Belichick is that, with so many team members and employees, he has no way yet of proving that nobody working for the Patriots is to blame – and his outright denial of his team’s responsibility, rather than stopping the controversy, has only fueled the fire.

Don’t go on the offense. A cringe-worthy part of the scandal came this past Monday (Jan. 26), when Kraft stole the show at what was intended to be Belichick’s opening Super Bowl news conference. On stage, he criticized the NFL’s handling of the issue and went so far as to demand an apology if it comes to light that his team is innocent. While you can’t blame Kraft for sticking up for his team, there was no need to resort to aggression toward the NFL for investigating the Patriots, especially given the team’s history of scandals. Going so far as to demand an apology comes across as arrogant and as lacking empathy for the issue. In any PR crisis, composure is your best quality for maintaining your reputation and relationships.

Ultimately, in the Deflategate case, little will sway the Patriots’ devoted fan base, and some even claim the scandal has been helpful for the NFL. But most aren’t as willing to forgive a brand as they are their beloved football team, so companies facing a crisis should especially consider taking the above pointers to heart.