The Tuck (NFL game)
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"The Tuck" is the nickname given to the 2001 NFL AFC Divisional Playoff game between the New England Patriots and the Oakland Raiders played on January 19, 2002 at Foxboro Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts, the then home stadium of the Patriots. Its name originates from the controversial game deciding play in which, according to the officials, Instant Replay camera captures revealed that New England Quarterback Tom Brady's arm had moved forward before Oakland cornerback Charles Woodson's sack prompted him to drop the ball, thus making it an incomplete pass, resulting in New England continuing their drive and kicker Adam Vinatieri hitting a game tying field goal, sending the game into overtime where Vinatieri kicked the game winner. It is also known as The Snow Job or the Snow Bowl. It was the final game at Foxboro Stadium. The Patriots' 16-13 win put them in the AFC Championship Game against the Pittsburgh Steelers where they scored a 24-17 come from behind victory. They would then represent the AFC in Super Bowl XXXVI at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, where they would defeat the NFC champion St. Louis Rams 20-17 on a last second field goal to capture their first World Championship.
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[edit] The Game
The game remained close, and with less than two minutes left to play, the Patriots drove the ball down the field. While they were slightly out of field goal range, New England Quarterback Tom Brady attempted a pass. In 1999, a new rule had been introduced, which was often referred to as the Tuck rule, which stated that if the quarterback moved his hand forward, in any sort of throwing motion and dropped the ball, it was not a fumble.[1] Previously, the motion had to have been conclusively a forward pass attempt.
[edit] The final outcome
The tuck rule created a very controversial finish to the game, as Brady dropped back to pass and dropped the ball after being hit by cornerback Charles Woodson. Raiders linebacker, Greg Biekert, dove on the ball, and was initially credited with a recovered fumble, which put the game out of reach. But eventually the referee, Walt Coleman decided that the tuck rule applied, because he had started his arm moving forward and had not tucked the ball under his arm like a running back. The official rule is as follows: "NFL Rule 3, Section 21, Article 2, Note 2: When a Team A player is holding the ball to pass it forward, any intentional forward movement of his arm starts a forward pass, even if the player loses possession of the ball as he is attempting to tuck it back toward his body. Also, if the player has tucked the ball into his body and then loses possession, it is a fumble." Since the throwing motion was not stopped before Charles Woodson knocked the ball out, it was logical that the play would have been ruled an incompletion. Despite the controversy, the league reviewed the call and deemed the call was correct. The ball was awarded back to New England, and Patriots' kicker Adam Vinatieri kicked a long, low field goal into the wind and sow to put the game into overtime. From there, the Patriots won the coin toss and another Vinatieri field goal put the game away. The Patriots later went on to win Super Bowl XXXVI.
