Tuck Rule Game 10th Anniversary
It was exactly 10 years ago that the New England Patriots faced the Oakland Raiders in a snowstorm now known as the “Tuck Rule game”. That win propelled the Patriots to their first of four Super Bowl appearances of the new millennium and was the start of a dynasty. That AFC divisional playoff would be the last game played at the old Foxboro Stadium and one of the most memorable games in NFL history.
With 2:06 left in the game, the Raiders led the Patriots 13-10 as the home team took over at their own 46 yard line. With less than two minutes remaining, they had crossed midfield and were near field goal range when Charles Woodson stripped the ball from Tom Brady. Ruled as a fumble, the Raiders took over possession and the game seemed to be over.
Following the recovery by the Raiders, the booth buzzed down to referee Walt Coleman for a replay. The replay showed Brady’s arm moving forward when Woodson hit him forcing the ball to fall out of his hand. Since his arm was moving forward, it was ruled an incomplete pass and the Patriots retained possession.
Brady would go on to complete a 13-yard pass to David Patton and, after two incomplete passes, lined up at the Oakland 28-yard line to set up kicker Adam Vinatieri. With the snow falling on him, Vinatieri hit the 45-yard field goal which tied the game at 13 with only seconds left to send the game to overtime.
The Patriots won the coin flip for overtime and chose to receive. They drove from their own 34-yard line to the Oakland 5-yard line and Vinatieri lined up again, this time for the win. As Vinatieri pointed out where he wanted the ball, the Patriots offensive lineman started clearing around the spot where he wanted it. After the 14 play drive, 8:29 into overtime, Adam Vinatieri kicked a 23-yard field goal which sent the New England Patriots into the AFC Championship game. They would go on to beat the St. Louis Rams for their first Super Bowl.
Nothing’s been the same since that game for either team. The Raiders made the Super Bowl the next year losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but have had little success since. The Patriots would go on to win three Super Bowls in four years and if they win Sunday, will have their fifth Super Bowl appearance since that game. That game was seen as just any other on January 19, 2002, but ten years later, it’s seen as a game that sparked a dynasty.
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I have a question. If every thing would have been exactly the same, except that Brady had ran across the line of scrimmage, would he have drawn a call for an illegal forward pass ( across the line)?
great question