How Tom Brady's Involvement in the Tuck Rule Game Almost Never Came to Be

There wasn't much that stopped Tom Brady in his illustrious 23-year NFL career, but there was one thing that nearly prevented him from having one of his greatest moments on the gridiron: several inches of snow. 

In the most recent edition of "Story Time with Tom," Brady shared how he nearly missed the New England Patriots' matchup against the Raiders in the divisional round of the 2001 playoffs, otherwise known as the Tuck Rule Game. 

"There ended up being about six inches of snow on the ground and as I'm driving into the stadium, we have a full-on blizzard in Foxborough," Brady said. "I'm stuck in traffic for a very long time. I had to call the head of stadium security and send a police car to pick me up and plow my way to the stadium in order to get there on time. 

"Little did we know what was going to ensue that day — one of the greatest football games in history." 

While Brady didn't miss that game, he certainly played like a player who might have been off his routine in the first half that day. New England was shut out in the first half of that game, with Brady only throwing 74 yards at halftime. 

But Brady and the Patriots were able to find a rhythm in the second half. He rushed for a touchdown in the fourth quarter that cut the Raiders' lead to 13-10, rolling in the snow after the score. 

Two possessions later for the Patriots, it appeared that their season would come to an end. With just under two minutes remaining, Raiders defensive back and Brady's former Michigan teammate, Charles Woodson, was able to strip-sack him. But after a video review, it was determined that Brady's arm was going forward at the time of the hit, overturning the call on the field from a fumble to an incomplete pass. Brady helped the