MOBILE, Ala. – Jon Gruden reached out to New Orleans head coach Sean Payton after the Saints lost the NFC championship on Sunday, largely due to a blown no-call on an obvious pass interference violation.
The Raiders head coach knows all too well both Payton and the pain felt after losing a chance to advance in the playoffs due to an officiating mistake.
Gruden was, after all, victimized by the Tuck Rule. The New England Patriots beat the Raiders back in the 2001 AFC divisional round largely because of a call that negated Tom Brady's lost fumble, which would have essentially secured a Raiders victory.
"That's one of the reasons Sean and I have talked," Gruden said Monday during Senior Bowl week. "What do you say to your team? It's tough. You lose a game like that, it's tough. It's tough to lose a game, period. It's tough that it came down to that."
Gruden has strong feelings on instant replay, but didn't want to comment on whether pass interference calls should be reviewable. By rule, the egregious non-call in the L.A. Rams' victory over the Saints wasn't allowed to undergo a review.
Payton was despondent after the overtime loss to Los Angeles, saying the NFL told him shortly after the game that pass interference should have been called.
While the Tuck Rule Game happened 17 years ago, Gruden and several Raiders involved in that game are still bothered by the end result. That's why Gruden believes the Saints might not ever get over such a loss.
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"No. I don't think so," Gruden said. "If you really want to dwell on it, you won't ever get over it. It's the last time that team will ever be together. It will never be the same. Those guys fought long and as hard as they could. It will sting forever."
Gruden and Payton have discussed the Saints' situation already, and will again down the road.
"Sean and I worked together a long time ago (in Philadelphia), and I was involved in a playoff game that ended in quite dramatic fashion," Gruden said. "So is he, now. He and I will have a couple of hot dogs and a couple Cokes and talk about it at some point in the future, I'm sure."
Gruden isn't the only Raiders still sore over the Tuck Rule Game. Charles Woodson caused the fumble that was negated, and it still bothers him greatly. The Raiders were awesome that year, and had a real chance to win the Super Bowl if his big play had stood as a fumble.
I want all the people that tell me to get over the #tuckrule to tell drew Bree's and the @Saints to get over that pass interference that wasn't called that would have most likely ended the game in a saints win. I'll wait— Charles Woodson (@CharlesWoodson) January 20, 2019
