NFL legend Tom Brady surely had a successful 23-year career in the league. After impressing everyone with his game, the star quarterback announced his retirement in February this year. Though the result of one game could have changed it all for Brady, and the star player himself accepted it.
Back in NFL 2001, there was a Divisional Round match between the Oakland Raiders and New England Patriots. Many people, including Tom Brady, believe that the match, known as the “Tuck Rule game”, highly impacted Brady’s career.
The quarterback, in ESPN‘s documentary “Tuck Rule”, made several revelations about that game. He mentioned that the Patriots coach Bill Belichick wouldn’t have made him a starter if the Raiders had won the match.
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“I’m probably the backup QB going into 2002,” Brady said in the film. “I’m not the starter if we lose that game,” Brady said.
Since the results of the game came in favor of the Patriots, there has been a huge debate about it. While some fans believed that the referee’s decision was right, many were against it. Last year, Tom Brady himself accepted that “the game against the Raiders might have been a fumble”. Though later on he claimed that he said “might”, which means it was just a possibility.
The Tuck Rule Game was undoubtedly one of the games to be remembered forever in the history of the NFL. But for Tom Brady, it holds an even more significant place.
What happened during the Tuck Rule game featuring Tom Brady?
One thing that makes the Tuck Rule game memorable is that it took place on a snowy night. During the match in Foxborough, Brady’s team was down with a score of 13-10 against the Raiders. The opposition’s cornerback Charles Woodson took the ball from Tom Brady.
At that time, the referees first ruled it a fumble, but later on reversed the decision. After that, the ball went to the New England Patriots. While giving the decision, the referee, Walt Coleman, mentioned that it was an incomplete forward pass. He further explained that the ball was going forward when it got dropped. With this decision, the offense of the Patriots got to stay on the field.
In the end, with 32 seconds left, Adam Vinatieri hit a 45-yard field. After that, Brady‘s team won the toss, deciding to receive the ball. The thrilling game went on for a 15-play drive before the kicker Adam hit for 23 yards which led the Patriots to win the game. It was a 16-13 win in that game which, in a way, shaped the entire career of Tom Brady.
It seems as if the 7-time Super Bowl winner never stopped after winning the Tuck Rule game. Everyone is aware of the exceptional career Tom Brady had with the Patriots and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Now, even after his retirement, he has fans who look at him as their idol.