When you’ve been playing in the NFL for as long as Tom Brady has, you’re going to be pretty well-versed on the rules. But at the same time, Brady should not have a better understanding of NFL substitution rules than an actual NFL official.
That’s exactly what appeared to happen during Sunday’s Week 5 game against the Atlanta Falcons.
With the Buccaneers driving late in the first half, Brady had the Tampa offense in a prime position to catch the Falcons defense out of position as they were trying to make substitutions. Normally, the offense isn’t allowed to snap until the defense has an opportunity to match a substitution. But that rule doesn’t apply when it’s under two minutes in half.
Umpire Barry Anderson seemed confused about that situation and held up the snap to the absolute dismay of Brady who could be heard shouting a loud F-bomb.
Tom Brady going at the refs for not setup the ball, he said i am ready set up the damn ball #TampaBayBuccaneers pic.twitter.com/DheRshNXhx
— vexan (@treeshardar) October 9, 2022
Brady got into Anderson’s face and held up two fingers to basically explain to him that the half was under two minutes. The quick-snap rule should not have been enforced there. And despite Brady’s explanation, Anderson didn’t seem receptive to what Brady was telling him.
The Bucs ended up settling for a field goal after all that confusion.
