Did Tom Brady REALLY lose track of the number of downs on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ final drive in the 20-19 loss to the Chicago Bears on Thursday night?
The images of him throwing up four fingers at the sideline and speaking to officials after an incomplete pass to Cameron Brate are everywhere, but if you ask the quarterback and his head coach Bruce Arians, he knew it was fourth down.
Arians was asked by a reporter about it after the Week 5 loss and simply responded, “Yeah, he knew. He knew.” A lot of people didn’t really believe what he said.
Here is Bruce Arians lying. pic.twitter.com/waEOoxWY8X
— Funhouse (@BackAftaThis) October 9, 2020
Bucs coach Bruce Arians says Tom Brady knew it was 4th down. pic.twitter.com/yPYRShONzY
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 9, 2020
Brady said he knew it was fourth down. Via USA TODAY Sports:
“Yeah,” Brady said when asked if he knew it was fourth down. “You’re up against the clock and you’re up against – I knew we had to gain a chunk, so I should have been thinking more first down than chunk.”
Running back Ronald Jones said the same:
Arians and Ronald Jones both said Brady knew it was fourth down on that last drive.
— Nancy Armour (@nrarmour) October 9, 2020
From ESPN.com:
When asked about Brady flashing the No. 4, Buccaneers running back Ronald Jones II said, “I didn’t really see that. I think we knew the down and distance. We were just looking — it looked like it was a bad call. It could have went the other way.”
Whatever happened, it wasn’t good.
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