The rule that started a dynasty may be removed after this season

[TIBERIUS]

It was 12 years ago that the last NFL dynasty began. It was a cold and snowy night in New England, and Tom Brady appeared to have literally dropped the ball on the Patriots magical season. Charles Woodson had just come from the edge and knocked the ball out of Brady’s grasp after he pulled back a pass attempt and the Raiders recovered the ball with and prepared to run the clock out and then head out to Pittsburgh for the AFC Title Game.

But then we all learned about a rule from head referre Walt Coleman following a lengthy instant replay that nobody had ever heard of, except the NFL officials. The Tuck Rule. The Patriots would keep the ball, and force overtime where an Adam Vinatieri field goal would propel the Patriots in the AFC Title Game and eventually to a Super Bowl title.

There was a video distributed this week around the NFL........

http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/the_rule_that_started_a_dynasty_may_be_removed_after_this_season/12577867


 stating that the Competition Committee will review the notorious rule, and it was cited that a recent play with Andrew Luck sparked it

“This is going to be part of a bigger discussion in the offseason of QB pass/fumbles and the tuck rule with the Competition Committee,” Blandino said. “This will be discussed in the offseason.”

“It was ruled on the field a fumble and the key here is the tuck rule,” Blandino said. “The rule is, if the quarterback brings his arm up to throw in an obvious passing motion, any intentional forward movement of the hand with control of the football will constitute a forward pass. That’s the rule.”

To this day, most fans and even players and coaches will tell you that the Tuck Rule is a terrible one, and that Brady fumbled it, that it wasn’t an incomplete pass, regardless of what the rule itself states. While the Raiders did reach the Super Bowl the following season, they were handily defeated by the Bucs and Jon Gruden the following year in it. Tom Brady went on to secure his status over the next 12 years as one of the best quarterbacks of all-time, while capturing a total of three rings in five Super Bowls.

[ElevatorRaidersfanPA]

Fuck the Tuck.  Cheating ass motherfuckers. 

[RVinnyT]

I'm glad they're taking action against this horrible rule so quickly before it becomes a major problem for a team. 

12 years and they're just now seeing a problem with this? Fuck the NFL

[CB]

I'm glad they're taking action against this horrible rule so quickly before it becomes a major problem for a team. 

12 years and they're just now seeing a problem with this? Fuck the NFL

Well, we can't have it fucking up the careers of our new shining stars like Luck and RGIII. Heaven forbid if it happened to Peyton or Brees.

[Limb Reaper]

I'm glad they're taking action against this horrible rule so quickly before it becomes a major problem for a team. 

12 years and they're just now seeing a problem with this? Fuck the NFL

Amen brother.

[BC]

Some folks out there are insisting that they were waiting for Al to die.   

[ElevatorRaidersfanPA]

Some folks out there are insisting that they were waiting for Al to die.   

<<<there are some people who believe there not going to stop fucking the raiders over until the organization has new ownership. 

[Raider Ed]

Looking back now, this one play changed the fortunes of both teams, right up to today. Don't know if anyone else agrees?

Would Chucky still be coaching the Raiders today? Would we have won some more Super Bowls, instead of enduring a decade of mediocrity? Would N.E. have won those Super Bowls?

I know. Coulda, woulda, shoulda. This stings all of us.

[gossamer138]

It's only being considered for removal because it was implemented last year during a playoff game and some other team got screwed. Up until then only the raiders were affected so the NFL didn't give a shit.

[TIBERIUS]

Depending on where you stand on the NFL's "Tuck Rule," the Baltimore Ravens either got a fumble recovery they deserved with 2:37 left in the third quarter, or the Denver Broncos were completely jobbed by a rule that should not even be in the rulebook.

On the play, and with Denver up 28-21 in their divisional round game with the Ravens, Denver had third-and-10 at their own 46-yard line. Peyton Manning didn't seem to like what he saw downfield as the pocket collapsed around him, and tried to tuck the ball back in. He lost possession of the ball, and Baltimore defender Paul Kruger came up with it at the Denver 37-yard line. Referee Bill Vinovich's crew called it a fumble on the field, and it was subject to replay per NFL rules.

Of course, the play brought up the "Tuck Rule," made infamous in the divisional playoff game between the Oakland Raiders and New England Patriots in January of 2002. Late in the game, it appeared that Pats quarterback Tom Brady fumbled the ball and Oakland recovered. However, referee Walt Coleman called it an incomplete pass, gave New England possession, and the Pats eventually won the game. The rule has been debated ever since, but it's in place as it has been since it was incorporated in 1999.

From the NFL Rule Book:

NFL Rule 3, Section 22, Article 2, Note 2. When [an offensive] 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.

"I agree with Vinovich," FOX Sports analyst and former NFL VP of Officiating Mike Pereira said on Twitter. "Tuck rule states that if player loses possession after he tucks the ball back into his body it's a fumble. Remember it was called a fumble on the field and there was not enough to reverse it. The key was that he got it all the way back to his body before it was knocked out."

As much as I generally find Pereira's double talk to be objectionable and superfluous, I think he -- and Vinovich -- got it right in this case. We'll have the video soon, but on the play, you can see that Manning tucked the ball into his upper body before fully losing control of the football. Even if it was a borderline play (which it didn't seem to be), there wasn't enough on the replay to overturn it, and through Vinovich's crew had made some pretty brutal decisions in the game, I find it difficult to argue with that one.

The fumble really hurt the Broncos. Five plays after Baltimore for the ball back, Ravens running back Ray Rice tied the game up at 28-all with a one-yard touchdown run.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/peyton-manning-third-quarter-fumble-brings-tuck-rule-002408946--nfl.html

[TIBERIUS]

This should put the nail in the coffin to this fucked up rule.

[Sonic]

This should put the nail in the coffin to this fucked up rule.

Yep, especially since it happened to one of the NFL's supposed "Good Guy" teams, and especially Peyton Manning.