Charles Woodson (24) is a split-second away from knocking the ball free from Tom Brady (12) throughout a Raiders’ playoff recreation in New England in 2002.
The Raiders and their followers are nonetheless offended, however Walt Coleman appeared delighted.
That was the largest takeaway from “The Tuck Rule,” an hour-long “30-for-30” manufacturing that aired Sunday night time.
The present not solely chronicled a chunk of NFL historical past 20 years later, however had protagonists and former Michigan teammates Charles Woodson and Tom Brady sitting in a lounge and breaking all of it down.
Woodson and Brady had been the celebrities, however different gamers interviewed included Lincoln Kennedy, Tim Brown and Eric Allen from the Raiders and Willie McGinest, Tedy Bruschi and Troy Brown from the Patriots. Interviews with each house owners — Mark Davis and Robert Kraft — appeared within the documentary, as with New England coach Invoice Belichick, whereas Jon Gruden’s lone look was taped from his closing press convention in 2002.
It was the primary we’ve heard from Coleman, the person who truly made the decision.
To Patriots followers, Coleman was candy revenge for Ben Dreith, the official who known as a debatable roughing the passer penalty on Raymond “Sugar Bear” Hamilton in a 24-21 divisional loss in Oakland. The play enabled Ken Stabler to scramble in for the game-winning landing and paved the way in which to the Raiders’ first Tremendous Bowl championship following the 1976 season.
To Raiders followers, effectively, it most likely wasn’t a coincidence Coleman was by no means concerned with the Raiders once more.
“I by no means labored one other Raiders recreation for the following 17 years,” Coleman famous with an enormous smile splitting his face. “The attention-grabbing factor was I labored loads of Patriots video games.”
There was a movie clip of Belichick seeing Coleman on the sector in a subsequent recreation and telling considered one of his assistants, “Walt Coleman . . . can’t do any higher than this.”
Coleman dismisses any thought he made a mistake in reversing the unique name of a fumble compelled by Woodson on a blitz which was recovered by Greg Biekert.
“It was an incomplete go,” Coleman mentioned. “It was an incomplete go when it occurred and it’s an incomplete go 20 years later.”
Whereas there have been loads of tales and an earlier ESPN manufacturing on the play, this was the primary one which concerned Coleman after the very fact.
In all, it was an amazing hour of tv, positive to infuriate the Raiders and their fan base and delight those that comply with the Patriots.
The forwards and backwards between Woodson and Brady was entertaining and enjoyable, even with Woodson’s palpable disgust with the decision and Brady doing his greatest to protection the indefensible. The mutual respect between the 2 is clear all through.
There was loads of hair-splitting on what the “Tuck Rule” truly meant, if it was enforced appropriately and if there was sufficient proof to overturn the unique ruling of fumble. The rule was stricken from the document books in 2013 by a 29-1 vote of possession.
All of the gamers interviewed thought it was a fumble and the sport was over. None had even heard of the “Tuck Rule” besides Belichick, who known as it “a lot ado about nothing.”
The next future of the 2 franchises is examined, and close to the top of the present over a recreation of pool, Brady asks Woodson if he would have remained a Raider had they gone on and received the Tremendous Bowl that season and once more the next 12 months.
“With two Tremendous Bowls I believe I’m a Raider for all times,” Woodson mentioned.
Brady performed into the drama by suggesting if the Tuck Rule hadn’t occurred, he would have gone into the next season because the backup to Drew Bledsoe. 
OK, two issues — with Woodson’s historical past of harm on the time and the way in which his wage had gone up from two franchise tags, I don’t assume he was destined to be a Raider for much longer. And it turned out nice for him. He’s not a Corridor of Famer with out Inexperienced Bay after which his return as an older, wiser and extra wholesome Woodson.
As for Brady, it was fairly clear what Belichick considered him when he was named the starter within the Tremendous Bowl that season towards the Rams. Bledsoe had come off the bench when Brady was injured within the AFC Championship Recreation in Pittsburgh and received the sport. But Brady began the Tremendous Bowl anyway.
The Raiders had been an older, descending staff that managed one large 12 months in 2002 after Jon Gruden was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Patriots had been a staff on the rise. The Tuck Rule was the start line, however didn’t essentially alter their respective paths.
Having attended the sport, I’ve at all times thought two issues had been equally true. First, the Tuck Rule was not solely a foul rule, nevertheless it wasn’t relevant on the idea of overwhelming proof and the Raiders bought screwed.
Second, the Raiders had each alternative to win that recreation earlier than Coleman took over. On third-and-1 with 1:43 to go close to midfield, Zack Crockett was stuffed by Bruschi and Ty Regulation for no achieve. Crockett was their short-yardage specialist and computerized in these conditions. If he will get a yard, the sport was over.
Kennedy needed to go for it on fourth-and-1, however Gruden, as conservative then as he was in his second tenure, determined to punt. Troy Brown returned the punt 27 yards after which one thing occurred that I’d fully forgotten. Woodson and Brady mentioned they forgot about it as effectively.
The Raiders’ Travian Smith compelled a Brown fumble. The ball was laying there on the bottom. If the Raiders recuperate, it’s recreation over. New England’s Larry Izzo recovered.
Lastly, Adam Vinatieri needed to kick a 45-yard area objective via the driving snow. The ball by no means appeared to get excessive sufficient off the bottom to hold the space. One way or the other it did.
Third-and-1. Punt return. Fumble recovered by Patriots. Unbelievable area objective. All these issues needed to occur for Coleman to change the course of historical past.
All of them occurred.
And Coleman appeared fairly happy with himself to have performed an element.