Tom Brady has a secret about Tuck Rule Game vs. Raiders

Las Vegas Review-Journal

2 years ago

File-New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) loses the ball after being brought down by ... — File-New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) loses the ball after being brought down by Oakland Raiders’ Charles Woodson, right, while Greg Biekert (54) moves to recover the ball in the fourth quarter of their AFC Division Playoff game in Foxboro, Mass. Saturday night, Jan. 19, 2002. The play was appealed, and the Patriots retained possession. Raiders coach Jon Gruden says opening this season at Carolina and then playing New Orleans on made him feel like he was in a time warp. His nostalgia is even more amplified this week against New England. It’s been nearly two decades since he walked out of a snow-covered Foxboro Stadium on the wrong end of a 16-13 overtime loss to the Patriots in the infamous “tuck rule” game during the 2001 playoffs. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)

Tom Brady came as close Thursday to acknowledging he fumbled in the “Tuck Rule Game” as he has since it occurred 20 years ago in the AFC divisional playoffs.

Brady went on Twitter and took part in the latest TikTok trend, a request by pop star Justin Bieber to fans to “tell me something honest.”

“The ‘Tuck Rule Game’ against the Raiders,” Brady began to say on the post before looking around for dramatic effect. He then leaned into the camera and whispered the rest of the sentence: “Might’ve been a fumble.”

Everyone keep this on the down low please. pic.twitter.com/xPtrg1kXjr

— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) May 5, 2022

The Raiders, then based in Oakland, thought they had the playoff game against the New England Patriots wrapped up when cornerback Charles Woodson hit Brady from behind and forced the ball out of his hand. But the referee ruled that Brady was bringing his right arm forward in the tuck motion, and thus was an incomplete pass and not a turnover.

Raiders fans have been enraged ever since, and Brady and Woodson recently revisited this play in an ESPN “30 for 30”that first aired Feb. 6.

After Bleacher Report posted Thursday that Brady “finally comes clean,” he responded by writing, “I said might. Such a tough call. No choice but to respect the officials probably correct decision.”

The NFL’s official Twitter account replied with a photo of Brady trying to high five an official to no avail.

pic.twitter.com/HpG91cBFhm

— NFL (@NFL) May 5, 2022

Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @markanderson65 on Twitter.