This past weekend’s games saw some heart-breaking moments for a couple of teams, one of which included a difficult miss on a seemingly easy game-winning kick out in Minnesota that cost the Vikings a shot to advance to the Divisional round and now has the Seahawks set to visit Carolina this weekend.
Former Patriots safety Rodney Harrison gave his thoughts on it after the game, noting that unfortunately for Blair Walsh, the kicker who missed the potential game-winner, it’s a play he’ll likely have to watch over and over again for the rest of his career. Harrison is no stranger to the torture, admitting that he’s not thrilled about being forced every year to endure seeing the ‘Helmet Catch’ against David Tyree that helped spark the Giants win over New England to spoil their perfect season in the Super Bowl.
Those are the types of moments that haunt players and on Monday Tom Brady, who watched this weekend’s games from the comfort of his own living room in preparation for this week, was asked about any “Oh Crap” moments that stood out in his mind. The veteran talked about a memory that still bothers him from college, but said moments like those are something guys just have to try and learn from.
“My first throw in college, I got put in and we were killing UCLA, it was my second year,” Brady told WEEI’s Dennis and Callahan on Monday during his weekly interview. “I was so excited to finally play, we were blowing them out and they put me in. I was probably on the 40-yard line and I was in the ‘Big House’, 100,000 fans and there was a little post to the backside to a single receiver and I was going to look off the safety and squeeze the post in, it was my first throw.”
“I dropped back, the coverage looked exactly like I wanted it and I let it go, and I threw it right to the middle linebacker who ran it back, whatever, 50 yards for an interception returned for a touchdown. That was my first throw ever in college.”
“I didn’t really think I’d ever be on the field after that happened. So you learn from those moments. You do, you feel bad for the guys who missed the field goal yesterday but I think it also goes to show you what playoff football is all about, that you can’t take anything for granted. Especially when the whether is zero degrees and there’s kicking problems all day and holding problems all day and execution problems all day, I mean, none of those are gimmies. When your whole season is on the line, there’s just a different level of pressure and some guys it gets the best out of you and some guys it doesn’t and it’s tough to lose a game that way.”
Brady noted that he’s been fortunate as far as kickers are concerned, which has enabled New England to avoid those moments.
“I certainly never take those guys for granted,” said Brady. “I have so much appreciation for what they do. To do what they’ve done, Adam [Vinatieri] and Steve [Gostkowski], to do and play at a consistent level like they have is just incredible. I’ve been blessed to play with two of the best kickers to ever kick in the NFL and I know our team has so much confidence in those guys and all the holders. The special teams units has always been something that we’ve really talked a lot about and put a lot of emphasis on. Those kicking plays all come down to being critical plays, especially this time of year.”
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Ian Logue is a Seacoast native and owner and senior writer for PatsFans.com, an independent media site covering the New England Patriots and has been running this site in one form or another since 1997.
