‘Very Heartbreaking’: Tom Brady Shares How Super Bowl LII Loss Still Haunts Him

Tom Brady’s seven Super Bowl wins in his playing career haven’t stopped him from carrying a few memories with him into retirement. In the latest episode of “Story Time With Tom,” Brady was reminded of one of his three Super Bowl defeats. Brady and his Patriots lost to the Eagles at US Bank Stadium in Super Bowl LI. Philadelphia used the infamous “Philly Special” before Brandon Graham stripped Brady late in fourth quarter. Brady recalled Super Bowl LII and said, “Anytime I see a play trick from the Eagles it breaks my heart.” “Any time I see a trick play from the Eagles, I get PTSD — and that’s not fun when you’re a broadcaster calling the game.” In the second half, the Eagles were facing a fourth and goal right before the halftime break. Running back Corey Clement took a direct snap then threw a 1-yard touchdown to quarterback Nick Foles to give them a 22-12 advantage. Philadelphia used the “Philly Special”, after New England had dialed up the same play earlier in that game. Wide receiver Danny Amendola threw the ball to Brady. Brady dropped Amendola’s throw. Brady’s dropped ball led to New England turning the ball over after Brady’s drop. But the “Philly Special,” and that sequence, weren’t enough for the Patriots to lose their Super Bowl hopes. Brady and his Patriots were in possession of the ball just under two minutes before the end of the fourth-quarter. They had the chance to take the lead. Graham stripped Brady of the ball on the second play, and the Eagles kicked a field-goal on the next possession to gain an eight-point advantage. Brady and the Patriots lost Super Bowl LII 41-33 when Brady’s Hail Mary failed to connect on the final play of the game. Brady’s constant reminders about Graham’s “strip-sack” are arguably what delivered the knockout punch. “My guy, Brandon Graham, a fellow Wolverine, has a Wolverine-on-Wolverine crime, strip sacks me in the fourth quarter, we’re going down, we have a chance to go ahead and win the game — which would’ve been an unbelievable moment,” Brady said. “[We] “We dug ourselves out of the hole and he came through the line-of-scrimmage, knocking the ball right out of my hands as I was about to throw it away. It ended up being a foul.” “There are multiple occasions where I have been standing at the sidelines and seen something happen. [Lincoln Financial Field] He’s been behind me for the past two years and pretends to strip-sack me. Brandon, it’s not funny! Brandon Graham stripped Tom Brady during the Patriots’ last drive in Super Bowl LII. Photo by Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire. Getty Images. Graham won his second Super Bowl in that game. He helped the Eagles to win Super Bowl LIX before retiring. Graham signed a new deal with Philadelphia in October that will help to bolster their pass rush. Graham and the Eagles won the Super Bowl LII, and Brady and the Patriots lost. Brady’s career-best performance was arguably the one in which Graham and the Eagles had the last laugh. He completed 28 out of 48 passes, totaling 505 yards with three touchdowns. Foles and Eagles’ offensive played just as well. Foles threw 373 yards with three touchdowns, while the team rushed for 164 yards. Brady said that the loss was crushing for many reasons. “We played pretty well on offense that day.” We never faltered, even though Brandin Cooks was knocked out early in the game. On that particular day, we threw for 500 yards. Three of our receivers scored over 100 yards. Nick Foles was the one we couldn’t contain. They played well. I’m certain that many people wanted us to lose.Brady and his Patriots also faced an interesting challenge during that Super Bowl. The game took place in Minneapolis, which was a bit different from most Super Bowls. It was a cold week in Minneapolis, as you’d expect for February.  Nick Foles was able to catch the ball Tom Brady missed in Super Bowl LII. Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images. Brady stated that temperatures were well below 10 degrees all week. “I don’t remember leaving my hotel, except to go to the practice. After practice, I would go home and lay in bed with the sun streaming through the window. It was the only warmth I felt that week.Brady continued, “”I have always said that Super Bowl week could be very distracting because so many families are in town and want to do different things,” Brady. What was distracting, however, is that it’s a chilly 10 degrees outside with no place to go. We sat around the hotel waiting for the game the entire time.Brady and the Patriots won their second Super Bowl title in three seasons, avenging the Super Bowl loss they suffered a year earlier. Brady seems to remember the Super Bowl defeats as well as the victories, particularly when Philadelphia fans get involved. Brady stated, “In some respects, it was one of my most memorable losses, because I am reminded of that every time I cover Philadelphia Eagles games, and the fans cheer me along.” In another way, I found it very heartbreaking. Want the best stories delivered to your inbox every day? Follow leagues, players and teams to receive daily personalized emails! Create or login to your FOX Sport account. 
2025-11-13 16:27:49