2003 Patriots' OT Game--Quick Question

[Murabma]

Folks:

I'm a Bills fan (insert Super Bowl joke here) with a quick question for all of you about the above-referenced game.

I recall watching the end of that game (regulation, that is) and seem to recall a long Brady pass with about 1:30 left that was picked off in the end zone by the Texans, who at the time were up by 7. Game over, right? Wrong, as there was a late flag on the Texans well away from the play that the TV announcers were never too sure what it was, but which gave the Pats the ball back and they went on to score and tie the game up and then win in OT. I went back and looked at the box score for that game and didn't see the penalty. Was I hallucinating this? I figured I'd come here to ask the folks most likely to remember it.

Many thanks in advance for the help, either way, and best of luck to you guys this season (I, for one, was glad to see Houston and Texas get your team back after the Oilers moved),
Murabma

[Speedy]

The play you're probably referring to happened in OT with about 3 minutes left. McCree intercepted a long Brady pass at the 3 yard line, but the Texans were called for defensive holding.

6 plays later, Vinatieri kicks a 28 yard FG with 45 seconds left in OT to win it for the Pats.

I didn't see anything on the play-by-play report where it happened as you decribed it (4th quarter, Texans leading), but there was that play in OT.

[SOLIS]

Wow -

That was a while back. I remember the game, but I don't remember that play. Hell I don't remember what I had for lunch yesterday...

One things for certain, this place has some diehard fans. Hopefully one of them can help you solve the mystery of the penalty that wasn't. Good luck.

[adam]

What? The officiating staff bailing out the Patriots when they screw something up? No way!

[SOLIS]

Originally Posted by Speedy

The play you're probably referring to happened in OT with about 3 minutes left. McCree intercepted a long Brady pass at the 3 yard line, but the Texans were called for defensive holding.

6 plays later, Vinatieri kicks a 28 yard FG with 45 seconds left in OT to win it for the Pats.

Speedy was quicker on the draw. Nicely done.

[Murabma]

Originally Posted by Speedy

The play you're probably referring to happened in OT with about 3 minutes left. McCree intercepted a long Brady pass at the 3 yard line, but the Texans were called for defensive holding.

6 plays later, Vinatieri kicks a 28 yard FG with 45 seconds left in OT to win it for the Pats.

I didn't see anything on the play-by-play report where it happened as you decribed it (4th quarter, Texans leading), but there was that play in OT.

Many thanks, Speedy, you may be right, but I could have sworn it was pre-OT, since as I recall it the Texans would have won the game clearly had the penalty not occurred. It was a very weird call as well, which is why it stood out in my mind--a late flag and well away from the play, to the point that the replays couldn't find anything and the announcers themselves were a bit flummoxed by the whole sequence.

The reason I'm curious is that this came up in discussions with some Pats fans on all of the weird officiating late in their games over the years that always seem to benefit New England--I've yet to hear from them on a game changing call late in a game that went the other team's way, for ex. If you have any of those, you'd do a better job than they've done so far.....

[Dayad]

Speedy, that was impressive.