The Snow Bowl Tuck-rule game against the Raiders

[FredFromDartmouth]

It is a slow time of year so I dug out the tape of this game. All I can saw is wow; Patriots classic; all the big names. Here are some observations:

1) Seymour did not start!? But he played well.

2) Willie McGinest was invisible most of the game except at the end. Bruschi had a great game but I did not see Ted Johnson.

3) It was glorious to watch Ty Law and O-T-I-S just muckle the WRs. They were all over them; ah the good ole days.

4) The Patriots played Rope-a-Dope the first three quarters. Watching the first 3 quarters I was wondering how on earth they won the game. The Raiders actually seemed to handle the snow better.

5) Wiggins had another great game including a mini immaculate reception when the ball bounced off David Patten(?)'s hand and Wiggie caught it in mid air a fraction of a second before going out of bounds.

6) Almost no penalties in this game especially against the Patriots. The zebras just let them play.

 

[jbb9s]

what about Raiders on 3rd and 1(?) trying to kill the clock. That was a big stuff by the D.

 

[jbb9s]

One other thought. If Grudent doesn't call a time out to ice Adam, would he have been able to plant his foot to make that kick? I feel like the TO was the only way that the Oline had time to clear.....

Has Gruden ever commented about this publicly? I think Gruden made a huge mistake...

 

[convertedpatsfan]

One other thought. If Grudent doesn't call a time out to ice Adam, would he have been able to plant his foot to make that kick? I feel like the TO was the only way that the Oline had time to clear.....

Has Gruden ever commented about this publicly? I think Gruden made a huge mistake...

I don't recall Gruden ever commenting on that. He probably never, ever, ever thinks about that game if possible. But I agree, that was a mistake.

And how about OT with Brady marching down the field? And the huge 4th down conversion.

I think I'm going to have to re-watch this game.

 

[NEPats1]

One other thought. If Grudent doesn't call a time out to ice Adam, would he have been able to plant his foot to make that kick? I feel like the TO was the only way that the Oline had time to clear.....

Has Gruden ever commented about this publicly? I think Gruden made a huge mistake...

haha you're exactly right, in the NFL films recap of this game Adam Vinatieri said in hindsight he'd like to thank them for calling a TO because of what you just said.

 

[FredFromDartmouth]

One other thing I noticed; Brady had a terrible game up until the 4-th quarter. He seemed tight and was overthrowing short passes. However his long passes had a lot of velocity; more than today it seems.

 

[DarrylStingley]

A few thoughts on that game:

1. Wiggins and Patten were immense. So many great catches.

2. Izzo following the punt return and snagging the fumble...so heads up and so under appreciated. He said afterward that he was following closely behind because he was concerned about a fumble there.

3. JR Redmond's play in the OT is another under emphasized aspect of that game.

4. It's been said before but Adam's kick to tie the game...beyond belief. It also gets over shadowed by the Tuck Rule.

5. On the Tuck call, I have two thoughts. One, it was the right call...it was just a counter-intuitive rule. Two, the Raiders so deserved it...25 years earlier they got the biggest gift call in the history of Boston sports and probably the NFL. So stop yer whining, d-bags.

6. All hail Walt Coleman for having the balls to make the right call.

7. Before the 3rd and 1 stuff was the 2nd and 3 stuff. Gruden made two incredibly conservative up the middle run calls in a row. Shades of the first game in Any Given Sunday!

8. Has there ever been a more enjoyable 3 games in a row in Pats history? Each of those three games was a freaking story book.

9. No better highlight footage exists. The snow. The cold. The plays. The fans. Wow.

10. Damn you Adam for becoming Judas. YOU should have been a Patriot for life and you chose to play with Horse Face and for the Holy Hypocrite. Still saddens me.

 

[ctpatsfan77]

10. Damn you Adam for becoming Judas. YOU should have been a Patriot for life and you chose to play with Horse Face and for the Holy Hypocrite. Still saddens me.

That hurts, no doubt, but I think in the long run it would have hurt NE if he had stayed. [If Vinatraitor had stayed in NE, I think it's all but a given that Polian takes Gostkowski. . . . ]

 

[BlueString94]

Ah, this game. Beautiful 60 minutes, better than the Rams Super Bowl in my opinion (in hindsight, of course).

Some people here have stated many great points about that game, but one thing stands out more than anything, and I don't think it was mentioned: Brady spiking the ball in the endzone, then falling into the snow. How many times do you see a Quarterback play with that much passion?

 

[DarrylStingley]

Ah, this game. Beautiful 60 minutes, better than the Rams Super Bowl in my opinion (in hindsight, of course).

Some people here have stated many great points about that game, but one thing stands out more than anything, and I don't think it was mentioned: Brady spiking the ball in the endzone, then falling into the snow. How many times do you see a Quarterback play with that much passion?

Yup, awesome moment. Brady effectively spiked himself. He said years later that it was a Tom Rathman moment for him.

Loved that play and loved Brady's fire on the sidelines. "That's a GREAT Comeback!!"

 

[DarrylStingley]

That hurts, no doubt, but I think in the long run it would have hurt NE if he had stayed. [If Vinatraitor had stayed in NE, I think it's all but a given that Polian takes Gostkowski. . . . ]

Then again, Ghost still hasn't had to make a really tough walk off kick.

And I betcha that BB doesn't go for it on 4th and 13 in the damn SB if he's got Adam sitting on the bench to kick a 48 yarder in a dome.

Said differently, I like the Ghost, I do. But I would have been fine with keeping AV and letting the Colts get the Ghost. Adam is STILL clutch. The Jets went on to beat the Colts, of course, but Adam was immense on the drive right before that freaking candy ass bedwench Sanchez lead the Jets to the game winner. If the Colts can play a little D there, Adam's clutch resume grows some more.

 

[Hermey the Great]

5. On the Tuck call, I have two thoughts. One, it was the right call...it was just a counter-intuitive rule. Two, the Raiders so deserved it...25 years earlier they got the biggest gift call in the history of Boston sports and probably the NFL. So stop yer whining, d-bags.

I still think the Pats were actually robbed on the play! Woodson blitzes, and cracks Brady over the head with a forearm!! You can see Bradys helmet turn sideways on the replay. The real correct call should have been 15 yards for roughing the passer! Damn Raiders got us again!

 

[cmasspatsfan]

Said differently, I like the Ghost, I do. But I would have been fine with keeping AV and letting the Colts get the Ghost. Adam is STILL clutch. The Jets went on to beat the Colts, of course, but Adam was immense on the drive right before that freaking candy ass bedwench Sanchez lead the Jets to the game winner. If the Colts can play a little D there, Adam's clutch resume grows some more.

Hes still clutch but his kickoffs are short. You can make the argument his short kickoff after the field goal was the reason the Jets got into position with so little time left to win that game.
If Ghost kicks off, he can put it out of the end zone and the Jets are starting on their own 20 and maybe dont win that game.

 

[IllegalContact]

5. On the Tuck call, I have two thoughts. One, it was the right call...it was just a counter-intuitive rule. Two, the Raiders so deserved it...25 years earlier they got the biggest gift call in the history of Boston sports and probably the NFL. So stop yer whining, d-bags.

I still think the Pats were actually robbed on the play! Woodson blitzes, and cracks Brady over the head with a forearm!! You can see Bradys helmet turn sideways on the replay. The real correct call should have been 15 yards for roughing the passer! Damn Raiders got us again!

just watched the 1976 game including roughing the passer.........given the rules for the times, the raiders got away with one by woodson

 

[PittPatriot]

just watched the 1976 game including roughing the passer.........given the rules for the times, the raiders got away with one by woodson

Do you have a library of old games? How did you ever get chance to just watch at game on a whim?

 

[PittPatriot]

10. Damn you Adam for becoming Judas. YOU should have been a Patriot for life and you chose to play with Horse Face and for the Holy Hypocrite. Still saddens me.

Don't forget getting to play in 2 more Holy Super Bowls and actually win one of them!

Adam is one of the few NE players who got to take the money and end up with a better experience than he would have had in NE.
David Thomas may be the only other one.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

9. No better highlight footage exists. The snow. The cold. The plays. The fans. Wow.

And if you were watching in New England that day, how about the feeling looking outside your window during that game with the total blizzard raging outside? I was in NH, my 12-day old daughter just back from the hospital, and it was just one of the most magical sports moments ever...somehow the snow itself seemed to sort of "connect" everyone in the area that day with what was happening down in Foxboro. Didn't it? Or am I just getting sentimental in my old age? :confused3:

NFL Videos: Top Ten Weather Games: The Tuck Rule

 

[cmasspatsfan]

And if you were watching in New England that day, how about the feeling looking outside your window during that game with the total blizzard raging outside? I was in NH, my 12-day old daughter just back from the hospital, and it was just one of the most magical sports moments ever...somehow the snow itself seemed to sort of "connect" everyone in the area that day with what was happening down in Foxboro. Didn't it? Or am I just getting sentimental in my old age?

I agree with your sentiments except for the blizzard part, it was a 4 inch snowfall, wouldnt even call it a storm, whenever anybody refers back to that game, including the media, they refer to it as a blizzard, cracks me up.

 

[DarrylStingley]

Hes still clutch but his kickoffs are short. You can make the argument his short kickoff after the field goal was the reason the Jets got into position with so little time left to win that game.
If Ghost kicks off, he can put it out of the end zone and the Jets are starting on their own 20 and maybe dont win that game.

I think the bigger culprit was crap coverage on the kick offs. Short kicks can often lead to decent coverage as the coverage team doesn't have to run all the way down the field. Graham's kicks are also not long and the Pats managed to keep teams from getting great field position.

In short, I would have loved to suffer with Adam's kicks for the rest of his career. He was a living, breathing testament to some of the greatest moments in Pats history and his FG prowess hasn't much waned.

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

It's amazing how close so many plays in this game could have very easily ended the game and the season. There were at least 5.... the Troy Brown fumble right in the middle of the field, the 2nd/3rd and short, the tuck rule overturn, AV's kick to tie, and there may be more I'm not remember. To have all those plays go in our favor symbolized that year, we were so fortunate to have won that game, let alone the Super bowl with that offense. The next week we get 2 ST touchdowns and in the SB we get 17 pts almost directly off the 3 turnovers.

2003 we were fortunate too, we were the best team yes but still lots of close calls. What if Drew Bennett doesn't drop the ball at the end of the Titans game which was right in his hands and AV not [barely] hit another incredible kick in inclimate weather? What if Fox didn't go for 2 too early and Carolina's K didn't kick it OOB at the end? This is why as painful as 2007 and this year was after dominating the regular season, I'll take the 3 rings over 10 seasons in a heartbeat. Our time will come, keep the quality seasons coming and the ball will roll our way again eventually.