Tom Brady went his first 317 NFL games without an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. That streak ended in game 318. During a second-quarter drive, Brady completed a pass and then got flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. It was a surprise in the moment, and even he seemed confused. After taking a hit from Von Miller that started on the chest and slid up into his mouth, Brady’s lip got cut. He wanted a roughing the passer call but didn’t get it. Instead, he let loose on a referee, reportedly yelling, “Are you [expletive] kidding me?” and something like “I’m [expletive] bleeding.” The ref wasn’t convinced. The flag pushed the offense back to second and 17.
Brady, now fired up and literally bleeding from the mouth, stayed locked in. He connected on a pass where the receiver made a one-handed catch, helping the team keep the drive alive. Still, Brady kept pleading his case for the hit that busted his lip. He pointed to the blood to prove the point, but the ref stayed cold. Slow-motion replays showed Miller’s arm catching Brady’s mouth guard, which likely caused the cut. The penalty was rare for Brady, who later admitted he probably should have been flagged more than once in his career for talking back to refs. Despite the setback, he kept the offense moving and showed why he’s been so hard to rattle for two decades.