Jon Gruden was finally introduced as the next head coach of the Oakland Raiders on Tuesday afternoon, and he wasted little time in endearing himself to the organization and its fan base by firing a shot at Tom Brady and the old Tuck Rule.
In recognition of the many former players and colleagues that he dealt with during his first tenure with the Raiders, Gruden made it clear that he still believes Charles Woodson forced the New England Patriots quarterback to fumble during the controversial “Tuck Rule” play at the end of their divisional playoff matchup in the 2001-02 season.
Gruden has previously acknowledged that this play has stuck with him in the many years that have followed. This single play could have changed the course of history for both franchises.
If it had been ruled a fumble late in the fourth quarter, the Raiders would have sealed a 13-10 win against the Patriots to earn themselves a trip back to the AFC Championship game with a chance to reach the Super Bowl.
Instead, after it was called incomplete upon review, the Patriots were able to tie the game on a difficult 45-yard field goal in the snow by Adam Vinatieri. New England then capitalized on the momentum, putting together a 10-play, 67-yard drive that led to a game-winning 23-yard field goal from Vinatieri in overtime.
Although there is no guarantee that the Raiders would have won or even reached the Super Bowl that season, the play took a playoff win out of their grasp, and that offseason Raiders owner Al Davis traded Gruden to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for four draft picks. The pain of that loss and being shipped out of town sticks with Gruden today, serving as added motivation to succeed now.
The focus for Gruden is to lead the Raiders and mold them into a perennial playoff team that competes for championships. The first step toward that is putting together his coaching staff (which he's already doing), before manipulating the roster to give him the best shot at reaching those lofty aspirations.
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