Jets vs. Patriots (2001) The tuck rule was called in Week 2 of an NFL regular season matchup on September 23, 2001, between the New England Patriots and the New York Jets. With 1:01 left in the second quarter, Patriots defensive end
Anthony Pleasant apparently forced Jets quarterback
Vinny Testaverde to fumble the ball, with Patriots defensive end
Richard Seymour making a recovery. The call was overturned upon review and ruled an incomplete pass, with the tuck rule cited. The Jets tied the game with a field goal on that drive before going on to win 10–3. Patriots head coach
Bill Belichick referred to this game after the subsequent
Tuck Rule Game, telling ESPN, "I knew what the ruling should have been because we had dealt with that play a little bit earlier in the year on the other side of it."
Raiders vs. Patriots ("Tuck Rule Game") (2001) The tuck rule resulted in a controversial finish to an
AFC divisional playoff game on January 19, 2002, between the
New England Patriots and the
Oakland Raiders. In the closing moments of the fourth quarter of the game in a snowy
Foxboro Stadium, with New England trailing by three points, New England quarterback Tom Brady dropped back to pass. After he had begun a passing motion, Brady clearly ceased his throwing motion, pulled his right hand down below his shoulder and had touched the ball to his left hand when, coming off the strong side corner blitz,
Charles Woodson knocked the ball out of Brady's hands. Raiders middle linebacker
Greg Biekert then fell on the loose football. The officials initially called the play a recovered fumble, which would have sealed the victory for the Raiders. After
instant replay, referee
Walt Coleman reversed this call, declared the play an incomplete forward pass, and gave possession back to New England. In explaining the reversal to the crowd, Coleman stated that the ball was moving forward at the time it was dropped. In later interviews, Coleman stated that it was his explanation, not the reversal, that was in error; the ball was moving backwards when it was lost, but the tuck rule applied. Patriots kicker
Adam Vinatieri later tied the game with a 45-yard field goal; in overtime, the Patriots defeated the Raiders on another field goal. Two games later, the Patriots won
Super Bowl XXXVI. The NFL defended the call, but Bruce Allen, who ran the front office for the Raiders at the time of the game, said, "The rule itself doesn't bother me, but the way the rule is written, it was a fumble."
Repeal In March 2013, the NFL competition committee proposed that league owners eliminate the tuck rule. The owners abolished the rule with a 29–1 vote at the 2013 annual meeting in Phoenix on March 20, 2013. The only team to vote against the elimination of the tuck rule was the Pittsburgh Steelers, while the New England Patriots and Washington Redskins abstained from the vote. Afterwards, referring obliquely to the 2002 Tuck Rule Game, Patriots owner
Robert Kraft said, "I love the tuck rule, and forever will, and I know [longtime Raiders owner]
Al Davis, may he rest in peace, is probably smiling." == References ==