5 Biggest ‘what ifs’ in Las Vegas Raiders franchise history
By Nick Ellis
What if the fumble was not overturned
In the 2001 AFC Divisional Playoff game, the then-Oakland Raiders faced off against the New England Patriots in a game that would go down as one of the most controversial games in NFL history. The team was beating the Patriots 13-10 in the fourth quarter when Charles Woodson sacked Tom Brady, forcing a fumble which the Raiders would recover.
Unfortunately, after review, the ball was given back to the Patriots after the refs decided that Brady’s arm was moving forward during the process. The Patriots would go on to tie the game with a field goal, and would end up winning the game in overtime by a score of 16-13.
If the fumble was not overturned, Oakland would have defeated the Patriots and moved on to the AFC Championship against the Pittsburgh Steelers, a team that the Patriots would go on to defeat 24-17. Although the Steelers were the No. 1 seed in the AFC, it would have been an extremely winnable game for that Raiders team, although defeating the St. Louis Rams in the Super Bowl would have been a bold task.
If the Tuck Rule game never happened, Jon Gruden may not have been traded, the Patriots dynasty may not have ever happened, and the Raiders very well may have won the Super Bowl.