FOXBORO, Mass. — Tom Brady was left scratching his head over an officiating decision late in Sunday’s New England Patriots-Dallas Cowboys game.
With five seconds remaining in the fourth quarter and a 13-9 Patriots win already solidified, Brady received the snap from center Ted Karras, took two steps backward and lofted a high, arcing pass in the general direction of wide receiver Julian Edelman.
Brady believed the intentional incompletion would drain the final few moments off the clock, putting an end to a wet and nasty affair at Gillette Stadium. The clock operator thought otherwise.
One second remained after Brady’s heave, giving the Cowboys one last chance for a miracle comeback. Dallas didn’t come close to reaching the end zone, but Brady still had questions about that odd sequence during his postgame news conference.
“I don’t know,” the quarterback said. “I don’t know. I couldn’t figure it out. I’ve never seen that before. … (The ball) was still up in the air when they stopped the clock, so I don’t know.
“Everyone says a Patriot gets advantages. I don’t know about that.”
Sunday was another slog for the Patriots’ offense, which managed just one touchdown and punted six times, but Brady said he was pleased with the team’s effort.
“It was a great win,” he said. “(The Cowboys) are a good football team, and I’m happy we came away with more points than them.”
