‘He Got Up And Kept Playing’: NFL World Reacting To Resurfaced Clip Of Tom Brady Getting His Helmet Knocked Off By Brutal Tackle Perfectly Illustrates How NFL Improved QB Protection

The quarterback is arguably the most important position in football. It has been since the inception of the modern form of the game. So it’s no wonder that the NFL would enforce laws aimed at prolonging the careers of players in the position. From the times of old, when quarterbacks faced the possibility of career-ending injuries, to the modern day, the NFL has made steady gains in protecting quarterbacks. A recently resurfaced video of then-New England Patriots QB Tom Brady throws light on the stark difference in rules, and the dangers QBs faced then and now.

The clip is from the Patriots facing the Buffalo Bills back in 2001. It shows Brady rushing the ball after a snap. But as he approaches the line of scrimmage, Bills’ cornerback Nate Clements charges into the QB. Clements crashes shoulder-first into Brady’s chest, and the resulting force of the impact sends him to the ground, and his helmet flying into the air.

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Replays show Clement made no contact with Brady’s head or neck. But such a tackle is definitely a punishable offense in the modern era. And the NFL is also revisiting its concussion protocols after Tua Tagovailoa’s injury scare. If the CB was to pull this off now, it would result in an outright ejection, no doubt. And he’d have to face a barrage of disciplinary actions from the NFL too.

Fans on Twitter, however, feel that the NFL is only a ghost of its former self, with all the rules. With recent games showcasing a plethora of ‘roughing the passer’ calls against QB sacks, some fans are livid with the NFL’s rules.

Resurfaced video of Tom Brady getting tackled throws light on a recent game

Tom Brady is a superstar in America. With seven Super Bowl rings and numerous records to his name, the 45-year-old is by far the best quarterback in NFL history. And yet, while people admire his skill and praise his endurance, controversies never seem to elude him. The most recent one came at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Atlanta Falcons game. As the two teams met to fight for first place (and bragging rights) in the NFC South, a controversial foul was called against the Falcons.

Grady Jarrett, the Falcons’ defensive tackle, had just made a clean tackle on Tom Brady, sacking him and forcing a turnover on 4th. But the referees were not happy and immediately called a ‘roughing the passer’ foul on Jarrett. Replays showed that the sack was as clean as it could get, but ‘roughing the passer’ fouls are not reviewable. And so, what would have been a dramatic comeback for the Falcons ended up as a disappointing loss.

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The NFL drew a lot of flak for the incident, with fans calling for making such fouls reviewable. But since the league is not very keen on mid-season changes, it’ll be interesting to see what plans they propose for next season.