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“Worst Thing”: Tom Brady Calls Out Refs Over Controversial Super Bowl Incident That Led to the Patriots’ Loss

When it comes to being vocal about expressing his views about referees’ calls, the former New England Patriots quarterback, Tom Brady, never shied away. Years after hanging up his boots, the 7x Super Bowl champion shared how he was never…

By Soheli Tarafdar · Essentially Sports

Published: Friday, 9 October 2026 at 1:29 AM

Key Things to Know

Tom Brady called the referee confirming David Tyree's helmet catch the worst call he ever heard.
Tyree's 32-yard catch helped the New York Giants defeat the New England Patriots 17-14 in Super Bowl XLII.
Brady also named a late underthrown deep pass to Randy Moss as the biggest throw regret of his career.

The Story in 60 Seconds

Former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady recalled on a FOX Sports podcast that hearing officials confirm David Tyree's helmet catch was the worst referee call of his career. The play occurred during Super Bowl XLII on February 3, 2008, when the New York Giants upset the previously undefeated Patriots 17-14. Tyree secured a 32-yard reception against Rodney Harrison after Eli Manning evaded New England pass rushers.

Brady also expressed regret over an incomplete deep pass to Randy Moss on third-and-20 late in the same contest. Brady noted that the ball was underthrown by just one yard, which prevented New England from reaching field goal range to force overtime and preserved the Giants' historic upset victory.

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