NFL Throwback: 20 years since Tom Brady's controversial win over Raiders in infamous "tuck rule game"
Tom Brady and the New England Patriots were a part of NFL history 20 years ago when the Patriots were in their first postseason with Brady as their quarterback as he took over for incumbent quarterback Drew Bledsoe.
They played in the infamous "tuck rule game" against the (then) Oakland Raiders.
Brady was just 24 years old at the time, but the Patriots were the home team courtesy of Brady's superb rookie season, leading them to the number one seed. The game was an all-time NFL classic for better or worse, including the strip-sack of Tom Brady that never was.
The "tuck rule game" 20 years ago changed Tom Brady's NFL career forever
The "tuck rule game" is best known for Charles Woodson's strip-sack on Tom Brady. The Raiders and Patriots played a highly competitive game, and the play happened with just under two minutes left in the fourth quarter.
The Raiders were winning by a field goal, and the pressure was on young hotshot Tom Brady.
The Raiders generated pressure on a slot blitz from their star defender Woodson. He appeared to strip Brady of the ball, and the Raiders recovered it.
However, upon further review, the fumble was overturned, giving the Patriots the ball back and allowing them to kick a field goal that sent the game into overtime.
20 Years Ago Today: @TomBrady and the New England Patriots in the vs the Raiders get a second chance on the “Tuck Rule.”
Force overtime and win it. Get to Super Bowl. Tom Brady wins first title https://t.co/24NCvqesqx
The ruling was highly controversial at the time, and remains a controversial topic today. Brady successfully led his offense down the field in overtime, and Adam Vinatieri kicked the game-winning field goal.
Vinatieri's clutch kicks were made more impressive by the frigid and snowy weather that plagued New England during the game.
The tuck rule was created in 1999 before being abolished in 2013. The rule was,
"When [an offensive] player is holding the ball to pass it forward, any intentional forward movement of his arm starts a forward pass, even if the player loses possession of the ball as he is attempting to tuck it back toward his body. Also, if the player has tucked the ball into his body and then loses possession, it is a fumble."
The fallout from the loss saw Raiders head coach Jon Gruden get traded to the Buccaneers that offseason. Raiders owner Al Davis and his players were furious at the league for what they believed was the NFL plotting against them.
What #Raiders AL DAVIS said about the league's handling of the Tuck Rule incident. https://t.co/bhDKfUlSSv
Brady went on to win the Super Bowl after defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC championship game. Since his initial Super Bowl, Brady has had a legendary career that's lasted more than two decades.
If it weren't for this ruling in the Patriots' favor, Tom Brady's career could've gone a lot differently.