HENDERSON, Nev. — With Sunday’s airing of ESPN’s 30 for 30 documentary on the Tuck Rule Game, called “Tuck Rule,” here’s a behind-the-scenes look at what went down on that snowy New England night that not only launched the legend of Tom Brady and the New England Patriots’ dynasty, but hastened the decline of the Raiders … from a certain perspective.
Lincoln Kennedy, an All-Pro right tackle with the Raiders, went in-depth on the play and its ramifications in his recent book, “If These Walls Could Talk: Raiders” with ESPN Las Vegas Raiders reporter Paul Gutierrez:
‘Never should have even happened’
Kennedy: If you’re a longtime Raiders fan, the Tuck Rule Game is up there with the “Immaculate Deception” in the 1972 AFC divisional playoffs at Pittsburgh, the Rob Lytle Fumble in the 1977 AFC title game at Denver, and Otis Taylor getting only one foot inbounds in the 1969 AFL title game against the Chiefs. All bad playoff memories that went against the Raiders. For me, it’s more than a bad memory — as I said earlier, it is one of the few times in my professional life I wish I had a do-over. And I’ll get into that in a bit.
Here’s the thing — the Tuck Rule Game never should have even happened. Not if we had handled our business at the end of the regular season. Look, after an 8-2 start that included a heartbreaking, last-second loss at Miami in our second game, we lost four of our last six games, including the last three straight, to finish 10-6. We lost out on a bye in the first week of the playoffs.
To break it down further, our last game of the season, at home against the New York Jets, was a game that had been postponed from Week 2 of the season, when the NFL moved all of those games back after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Still, we were at home. But Sebastian Janikowski, our first-round draft pick kicker the year before, was out that day with cellulitis in his foot. So we signed Brad Daluiso off the street for one game. His only game of the 2001 season. The last…
Source : espn
