Tom Brady and the Tuck Rule Dominos
How one moment in the 2002 NFL playoffs changed the fate of the league forever.
The domino effect is a concept that uses the mechanics of the ancient Chinese board game as a metaphor for how history often unfolds. One tile, or one event, can tip the path of events going forwards, creating a chain reaction of subsequent decisions and outcomes, the end results of which forming what we see around us in the present day.
The world of sports is full of such instances, where one person’s decision in one moment can alter the paths of numerous players or teams in amazing or catastrophic ways. LeBron’s decision, Kaepernick sitting on the bench, and Babe Ruth to the Yankees all shifted the competitive or political directions of their respective leagues for years to come.
The Tuck Rule Game was no different. In fact, it may be the defining example of the domino effect in sports, as the key actors have remained key pieces in the NFL’s balance of power to this very day, over 16 years later.
(ps. If you don’t know what the Tuck Rule game is, first of all, you should be ashamed of yourself. Second of all, there’s a detailed outline of what went down in this week’s podcast, so check that out below before you talk to someone and embarrass yourself.)
More important than the events of the game itself, or the mildly credible conspiracy theory, or even the New England Patriots bringing home the first of three Lombardi in five years, however, was what did not happen as a direct result of the Tuck Rule victory and ensuing Super Bowl. Namely, Tom Brady not getting traded, and the seeds being planted for the beginning of football’s Evil Empire.
Let’s be realistic. At the time, the Patriots appeared to be overachieving with their 6th round backup by just making it to the Divisional Round game against the Raiders. The Drew Bledsoe-less squad was 5–5 through Week 10 before going on a run thanks to some close divisional games and easy out of conference matchups. After the Tuck Rule game, Bledsoe got called into action and successfully piloted the team to a AFC Title, before Brady took over and won the Super Bowl.
With seven offensive points.
Now, when your rookie quarterback steers the team to a Super Bowl title, however unimpressive his 18–12 touchdown to interception ratio, 41 sacks and 12 fumbles looked, you have to bring him back for another run, which means Bledsoe became the expendable asset. However, were they to have faltered in their first playoff game, it’s entirely possible that they could have defaulted to their multi-time Pro-Bowl vet if they thought their promising record under Brady could net them a bigger trade haul for the youngster.
When you look around for who would have been in the market for a developing young signal caller in 2002, the top candidates on any list would be right in the division, with Buffalo and New York being historically inept at evaluating the position through the draft. Imagine what would have happened if those franchises, steeped to the bones in losing cultures, had been left to nurture one of football’s most indomitable winning spirits. Furthermore, what would become of Bill Belichick? He was still on the hot seat as late as Week 10 of the regular season. Would the Hoodie have lasted long enough at the helm in Foxborough to become the mythical football genius that many call the greatest of all time?
Outside of the division, even more questions exist. What would Peyton Manning’s resume look like had Brady languished in some pitiful football cesspool like the Jets or the Bills. Conversely, what would we think of Ravens legends like Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, and Terrell Suggs had they not had the chance to play foil to the New England juggernauts in multiple post season runs? And what of the Raiders, who ended up on the other side of the botched call. How would another possible Lombardi have enriched the legacy of one of the NFL’s most enduing brands?
This week on Roll The Tape, Kyle and Afi look back on the Tuck Rule, explain what happened, and break down how it shook the NFL in ways that remain to this very day.
Show Notes
What went down in the Patriot’s 2001–02 season?
What was the Tuck Rule? How was the call botched?
Why did the Tuck Rule Game save Tom Brady from a possible trade?
Where could he have possible gone? Why those teams?
What would the league have looked like as a result?
Riley Evans is the Multimedia Director for Grandstand Central, where he produces all the shows you hear on the Grandstand Central Podcast Network. You can hear him on the aforementioned network, read his commentaries on mental health and/or identity politics in sports, or tweet at him here.
