Ray Lewis: No tuck rule, no Tom Brady

Ray Lewis believes people only know New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady because of the NFL tuck rule

I about fell out of my seat when I read about what former Baltimore Ravens linebacker and current ESPN analyst Ray Lewis said about Tom Brady this morning. Then I realized, it was just Ray Lewis.

Per Profootballtalk.com, he told Stephen A. Smith of ESPN the only reason we know Brady is because of the infamous tuck rule that went into place after the 2002 playoff game against the Oakland Raiders in the snow.

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Say what? Now again, I realize we are hearing this from Ray Lewis, but this is even out there for a guy like Ray Lewis. He tells Smith on ESPN Radio that “when we — the first time we created something called a tuck rule, it’s the only reason we know — I’m just being honest — the only reason we know who Tom Brady is, because of a tuck rule.”

Right. Let’s forget everything else he did before and after that. Never mind he went 11-3 in the 14 games he started during the season prior to the play that created the tuck rule in the playoffs.

Never mind that he has led his team to at least 10 victories in every season but 2003, when he won nine, since he became the full-time starter in 2001. Oh yes, don’t forget about the 12 playoff seasons, including this one that he’s led the Patriots to in 2014.

Am I forgetting anything? Oh yes, the Super Bowl. He’s only helped the Patriots to five Super Bowls, winning three of them, since 2001. Other than that, right, who is Tom Brady?

Even so, even if that call against the Oakland Raiders goes the Raiders way in that 2002 playoff game, well how does that explain all the success since then? That only covers that season. So we find out the champion Brady is in 2003, 2004 and 2005 instead of 2002?

I realize this guy is a defensive player who probably doesn’t like Brady much, but either he isn’t very smart or this is just a purposeful statement to tell us he doesn’t really think Brady is that good. Either way, I’m fairly certain you aren’t going to find many people who agree with Lewis.

You have a generation of young fans who probably weren’t even around when that game took place. I guarantee there were legions of University of Michigan fans who knew exactly who he was. He took over for an aging Drew Bledsoe and nearly became an overnight sensation, given his being drafted in the sixth-round at No. 199 overall.

But, right, we wouldn’t have known Brady without the tuck rule game.

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