Stephen A. Smith was not happy about the role Tom Brady played in one of Week 5’s most talked-about plays.
Brady and the Buccaneers were the beneficiaries of a highly questionable roughing-the-passer penalty called on Grady Jarrett at Raymond James Stadium. The Falcons defensive end swung Brady down at Tampa Bay’s 43-yard-line on a third-and-5 play as the Bucs held a 21-15 lead with just over three minutes to play in the fourth quarter. The sack would have given Atlanta all sorts of momentum and a legitimate shot to pull off an upset, but it was nullified when head referee Jerome Boger tossed the laundry.
Smith called the penalty “disgusting” and “one of the most egregious calls I’ve ever seen.” The “First Take” co-host also took issue with how Brady acted after Jarrett brought him to the turf.
“I’m not going to lie to you, and some people are gonna look at me and say I’m utterly crazy for saying this: I’m pretty damn ashamed of Tom Brady, too,” Smith said Monday on ESPN. “Tom Brady looked at the ref and was looking for a call. ‘Where’s the call?’ I know, win at all costs. But, damn, talk about taking the competitive fervor out of the mix. Win fairly. What are you looking at the referee for? You’re Tom Brady, you’re a seven-time champion. You know what kind of things you’ve endured throughout these years in the league. What the hell are you looking at the official to make a call on that play?”
Brady unsurprisingly didn’t have much to say about the penalty that helped the Bucs halt their losing streak at two games. The 45-year-old reminded reporters after the game that doesn’t throw the flags, and he doubled down on the remark on his latest podcast.
Controversial roughing-the-passer penalties proved to be a theme of the NFL’s latest slate. Kansas City Chiefs star Chris Jones also was a victim of a questionable whistle Sunday night.
