Tom Brady received praise on Saturday for his call during a crucial moment in the Washington Commanders’ NFC divisional round win over the Detroit Lions.
The Commanders were up by three points with under 14:30 to play. They decided to go for it on 4th and 2 from the Lions’ 5-yard line. A stop for the Lions and they would have got the ball back with plenty of time to either equalize or take the lead.
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Tom Brady talks with Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson before their divisional playoff game against the Washington Commanders on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Brady noticed something was wrong with the Lions’ defense when the Chiefs broke their huddle.
“Need a timeout, 12 on the field, timeout” Brady said. “Timeout! Timeout! No. No. Oh no! What are they doing?”
The Lions were penalized for having 12 men on the pitch. The penalty gave the Commanders another set of downs. Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. found the end zone two plays later to put Washington up 38-28. The Commanders won the game 45-28.
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Tom Brady in the broadcast booth for the game between the Dallas Cowboys and the New Orleans Saints, Sept. 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Jerome Miron, File)
Brady, who called his first NFC divisional round of his career, received praise for pointing out the Lions’ illegal defense.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell lamented the loss.
“We just didn’t complement each other,” he said. “We didn’t get a stop when we needed one, and when we did get a stop, we turned the ball over. With five turnovers — even if one was at the end and it was really four, that’s too many.”
Lions head coach Dan Campbell speaks to the media following the loss to the Washington Commanders Sunday, Jan. 19, 2025, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Mike Mulholland)
The former New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers star is in his first full season as a broadcaster for FOX. He will be on the call with Kevin Burkhardt for Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans next month.
