emember the Tuck Rule? The famous ******** of the Raiders in the playoffs, elevating Tom Brady to the role of Golden Boy in the NFL and adding yet another chapter to the long, storied history of the Raiders, among other teams, being screwed by NFL officials?
Well, apparently, the Tuck Rule is no more. Or at least not when the Raiders aren't involved.
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.
Now let us watch Steeler QB Ben Roethlisberger lose the ball as he is attempting to tuck it back to his body...exactly as Tom Brady did years ago. Yet where was the Tuck Rule to save the day for the Steelers?
What's even more galling is the fact that Walt Coleman, lead bonehead among NFL Officials and the Referee that snowy night in New England was the Referee Monday night in San Francisco. Surely Walt would know what the Tuck Rule looks like!
But no...just a fumble.
Is it any surprise though? A fumble is a fumble, not a tuck. Perhaps Walt finally got it right. Too bad he didn't get it right in 2002.