Tom Brady Defends His Actions That Drew First Unsportsmanlike Conduct Penalty of His Career vs. Rams
Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady admitted last week on his Let's Go! podcast with Jim Gray that NFL officials let him get away with more, giving him favorable treatment on called penalties.
“They probably let me get away with a lot of unsportsmanlike conducts, talking smack to the other team and talking smack to the refs when I don’t think I get the right call,” Brady said. “I’m kind of a pain in their ass, in case you don’t already know that.”
Perhaps in looking back, Brady may wish he wouldn't have gone public with that statement as Sunday's Divisional Round matchup in which the Rams defeated the Bucs 30-27, the officials took action following a play Brady disagreed with.
Brady was flagged for a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty, the first of his 22-year career.
Brady was hit in the facemask at the end of a pass play by Rams edge rusher Von Miller in the second quarter, leaving him with a bloody lip. After Miller wasn’t flagged on the play, Brady voiced his case to the officiating crew – specifically to Shawn Hochuli – who then proceeded to throw the flag, except he wound up penalizing Brady.
Per the pool report following the game, Hochuli said Brady “got in my face in an aggressive manner and used abusive language."
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Nick Cothrel is the publisher of Ram Digest. Follow Nick and Ram Digest on Twitter @NickCothrel & @RamDigestSI for more Rams coverage.