Getty Tom Brady
F
ormer New England Patriots quarterback and current Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Tom Brady decided to be honest about one of the most infamous moments in all of football.
NFL fans will have a viral trend and Justin Bieber to thank for finally finding out what Brady really thinks about the “tuck rule” game. In a TikTok video where Bieber asks people to “tell me something honest,” Brady decided to come clean about what happened on that fateful snowy night.
Everyone keep this on the down low please.
The controversial call in the 2001 AFC Divisional round game against the then Oakland Raiders was the unofficial beginning of the Patriots dynasty. The refs overturned the call on the field from a fumble to an incomplete pass, which gave New England’s offense a second chance after it appeared that Brady had fumbled the game away.
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The Patriots won in overtime and went on their way to their first-ever Super Bowl championship. The rest is history. New England went on to win six Super Bowls and become one of the most dominant dynasties in NFL history.
Still, Brady made it clear that he said it might have been a fumble and that he defers to the decision of the officials that were on the field.
“I said might,” Brady tweeted. “Such a tough call. No choice but to respect the officials probably correct decision.”
An Important Call
With this being the start of Brady’s legendary career, the quarterback remembers the event quite vividly.
In an ESPN 30 for 30 documentary about the game, Brady said that he might not have been the starter heading into the following season if the call had gone the other way.
“I’m probably the backup QB going into 2002,” Brady said in the film via NBC Sports Boston. “I’m not the starter if we lose that game.”
During the following season, Brady threw for 3,764 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions as the Patriots starting quarterback.
Still Chugging Along
Brady’s career is still alive after a brief retirement in the offseason. The quarterback will be entering his 23rd season in the NFL.
The quarterback has done it all so far. Brady has played in 318 games and thrown for 84,520 yards and 624 touchdowns. The veteran has also had 42 fourth-quarter comebacks and 53 game-winning drives.
Entering 2022, Brady already has 15 Pro Bowl nods and seven Super Bowl rings along with being named an All-Pro three times. He also was named MVP three times and was a Super Bowl MVP five times. He was also named Comeback Player of the Year in 2009 after returning from a knee injury.
Turning 45 years old before the start of the 2022 season, it will be interesting to see how Brady performs. He is coming off one of his best seasons since 2011.
Last season Brady threw for 5,316 yards, 43 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. While Tampa Bay was unable to make it back to the Super Bowl, he lead the league in passing yards and touchdowns.
But now Brady’s conscience is clear as he finally admitted that luck might have been on his side in a snowy game against the Raiders.