Raekwon McMillan says official told him to “stay off Tom” Brady

Posted by Charean Williams on September 18, 2019, 10:43 PM EDT
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The Steelers have lost Ben Roethlisberger. The Saints are without Drew Brees. The Jaguars are playing without Nick Foles.

Andrew Luck retired, and Cam Newton‘s injured foot might keep him out this week.

The NFL hopes not to lose any more big-name quarterbacks.

On the other hand, Jamal Adams complained about his fine for roughing the passer; Myles Garrett questioned an official on one of his roughing penalties on Trevor Siemian; and nearly everyone is trying to figure out what Bradley Chubb did to draw a roughing penalty on Mitchell Trubisky.

Dolphins linebacker Raekwon McMillan said, via Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, that after he made a legal hit on Tom Brady, referee Bill Vinovich told him to, “Stay off Tom.”

The Dolphins followed directions, with two sacks and three total quarterback hits on Brady.

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86 responses to “Raekwon McMillan says official told him to “stay off Tom” Brady”

  2. Not buying it..this is very likely being taken out of context. It was likely about following through and driving through the qb on the ground, which we know the league is highly sensitive to, not just for Brady.

  5. Lmao

    And if u think Raekwon McMillan would make this kind of story up
    Then put yourself in McMillan’s shoes and ask yourself how lucky you are to be the NFL and should I even say anything. He’s a fringe NFL player and has more to lose then to gain.

    I believe him

  6. Much to do about nothing. Without seeing the hit I’d say he was probably close to landing on Brady with his full weight and this was just a friendly reminder of the rules.

  7. Would’ve been nice to have that ref help for Andrew, or Ben, or Drew, or Alex, or Brad, or Robert, or Terry, or Steve, or Peyton, or Troy, or…

  9. The Dolphins were awful the whole game. I hope this is not insinuating an excuse for losing. Brady is the 7th most sacked quarterback in NFL history. It’s not like he hasn’t taken his fair share of hits throughout the course of his career. I remember him getting knocked down like 23 times against Denver in that 2015 AFC championship game.

  10. And???? They aren’t allowed to land on QB’s anymore! So the story is that the ref told him to follow the rules???

  12. LOL! The fins are blaming the lack of pass rush on the refs telling them not to hit Brady. Sure that’s the ticket! The refs did it, right after Santa Clause caught a fifty yard touchdown from Brady. .

  15. Or, the officials let something go that they’re expected to call now and just gave him a warning. This should be seen as a positive, it’s way better than them constantly calling ticky tack fouls.

  23. Week after week Brady can be seen taking late hits with no flags. Not on tv of course. About damn time they shut down the cheap shot artists. OTOH NFLPA is the only collective bargaining group that actively seeks to have its own members terminate each other’s ability to make a living.

  24. Come on Mr. Vinovich, Raekwon was just asking Tom Brady for an autograph. And who can blame Raekwon, like most NFL players he is not really worthy enough to be on the field with Tom Brady, the Greatest NFL Player of All-Time, so it must have been a thrill. Coincidentally, Bill Vinovich is also not worthy.

  26. He is claiming he was told that on a “perfectly legal hit”? Im skeptical. I do think the refs are coddling QBs to a ridiculous level and that can be seen in all the documented on video cases the author went through for the entire article before basing his headline on an unsubstantiated heresay claim at the end. (PDS) But as far as overtly ordering players not to play legally, I do not think that is taking place. IMHO the words were never said he’s just mad and grousing, or the hit was not as ‘perfectly legal’ as he suggests. If the refs thought something was only borderline legal where they had to make a decision whether it should be called or not…those are the things the refs warn players over.

  27. Is this a surprise to ANYONE? Really? I hope people nail Brady all year long. Hit him like they used to before all of these rule changes. Not take cheap shots, but good clean hits every time he drops back. That’s when he starts seeing ghosts in the pocket.

  28. Having that conversation in a mic’d up helmet would be something everyone would like to hear.

  31. Yeah, now it’s the ref’s fault Miami Stinks….. give me a break…..& IF he really did say that, it was probably about bringing HIS body weight down on Brady when sacking him….kind of what CHUBB did to Trubisky…..

  33. Too many cooks spoil the broth. For the NFL the too many cooks are called The Competition Committee.

    So the big picture philosophical question to ask yourself would be….

    If you ruin the brand in efforts to protect the brad, was the brand worth protecting?

  34. Nothing new here.

    Since Steve Young laid unconsiouness on the field 20 years ago and never played again..and Aikman had many concussions he had to leave the game at 33 years of age in 2000…this is nothing new.

    Because this entire generation of NFL quarterbacks have been protected like an endangered spieces.

    In my opinion, if you want to try and argue that Brady isn’t the greatest QB of all-time…the only valid arguement is he never got hit like Elway, Montana, Young and Aikman.

    Like I said in 2015, it is exactly why Brady will play until 45. He has the dedication and is protected like a Panda Bear in this league.

  36. We don’t know the context of the statement.

    Landing on him full weight would be illegal.

    Of course, he could feel protective of TB because he is older than the refs!

  37. >> It’s pretty pathetic how the officials have to protect these Quarterbacks to the degree where players can’t even do their jobs.<<

    Lets see how you feel when your team's QB goes down, you season is over on a late or unnecessary hit. The warning to Raekwon McMillan was a warning after Brady had released the ball and he swung his left forearm at him. The ref was probably doing the him (Raekwon) favor before throwing a roughing the passer flag.

    Coaches need to coach up their players, good coaches do. Players need to understand the rules, its no surprise which teams struggle with this concept most are 0-2

  40. Here come the truth speakers to say Goodell favors the Pats and Brady. Brady definitely is smart enough to not get hit too often in the pocket. This is why he still is playing at 42.

  41. He should thank the ref for being a professional and guiding him instead of throwing a flag. We all know the league put an emphasis on the body weight thing given the horrible calls by other crews last week.

  42. FoozieGrooler says:
    September 19, 2019 at 9:04 am
    Brady is the only QB I ever saw who could take a hit, turn and nod to a ref, and summon a flag.
    ———————————-

    Which game? I also see plenty of QBs do the same thing and flags get thrown. Why are you so laser focused on the Pats? Must have something to do with that winning franchise you root for.

  43. brady has taken more hits and than any qb in the league and just keep getting up. his team is never out of it because he’s tougher than anyone else and never quits. down by 10 or 28-3 in the bowl broke everyone else who ever played.

  45. vikesr4reel says:
    September 19, 2019 at 10:09 am
    That’s because Brady has been a baby his whole career
    —————————————–

    You do not watch Pats games. Name a QB that does not whine to ref. They all do. You just want to think Brady does it more. The most polarizing franchise and QB really does bring out the best in people like you.

  47. vikesr4reel says:
    September 19, 2019 at 10:09 am

    That’s because Brady has been a baby his whole career

    ******************

    And yet actual players call Brady a tough QB:

    Dan Patrick to Justin Tuck: Who is the toughest QB you ever faced? Who would you say is the toughest?
 Tuck: That’s easy. Brady. We kept hitting him harder and harder and couldn’t believe he kept getting back up.

    “No matter how hard you hit him Brady will get back up and tell you good job good hit. He takes his hits like a real man”
— Michael Bennett (long before joining the Patriots)

  49. the amount of jealousy about the Dolphins tanking is staggering. Just because they are not rebuilding the way Chris Mortenson thinks they should doesnt mean they are doing anything wrong or against the rules.

    Refs have been protecting Brady, and giving the Pats gifts for two decades. Crickets.

  50. Vasteelerfan says:
    September 19, 2019 at 8:16 am
    Spoken like a true Homer. Brady has gotten special treatment for years you just refuse to believe it.
    ____________________________

    You love the word homer almost as much of you love the Pats. Brady does get special treatment on his arms all the time because of raising all those SB trophies.

  51. Hit him like they used to before all of these rule changes. Not take cheap shots, but good clean hits every time he drops back. That’s when he starts seeing ghosts in the pocket.

    —————

    Good advice, and everyone knows it.

    They can’t get to him fast enough, as we all know.

    If they do, he slides around in the pocket to avoid a clean hit.

  52. For those OK with excessive force hits on QBs (like the Dupree hit on Wilson): would you be OK being the recipient of such a hit?

  53. That’s because Brady has been a baby his whole career
    ——–

    You should watch him play sometime.

    The way he stands tall in the pocket, looking downfield as it is caving in is amazing.

    He’s a very tough guy.

    Because he looks better than me and you does not make him a baby.

  54. QB is most important position in football and for any Team, he is also the most vulnerable Player on the field. This makes the QB an easy target for cheap/dirty hits by a Defensive Player that has a weight of 250 – 300lbs. Just using their own weight to fall on a QB can end a Players career.

    But some knucklehead low IQ players feel it is ok and just ‘play’n ball’.

    Intentionally ending another players career is not acceptable – period.

  55. Crybaby Nation with its top brass out in full force once again to fight the injustice of the Pats dominating the NFL.

    Vasteelerfan
    williamshatnerstoupee
    vikesr4reel
    FoozieGrooler
    Have not seen thetruthspeaks but that is just a matter of time

    I am guessing the team each one roots for has not won a SB in a very long time.

  56. Joshua Lehner says:
    September 18, 2019 at 10:57 pm

    I never understood why more teams don’t eat roughing penalties early just to rattle nerves.

    _______________________________________________

    Maybe because they have more decency than you.

  58. Not surprising to any one but NE fans, way to many times we have witnessed the calls and non calls with Brady. NE fans inside know this. No one says Tom is not great but he does get great treatment . The rule is for all QB’s not one

  59. This isn’t a surprise for anyone who has watched Patriots games over the years.

    For Pats fans going with the “crybaby nation” line, there is zero chance this wouldn’t have been a huge deal for you if you heard the same about, say, Peyton Manning.

    I get it. Protect the stars. But it’s challenging enough trying to beat that team without this kind of special treatment.

  61. Did someone say Manning never complained to the refs and never got special treatment? Try watching the 2006 AFC Title game then ridiculous faceguarding and pi all throughout the game thanks to Manning whining. As for this incident the Fins are looking for excuses period you look like punks for saying this crap.

  63. billsrthefuture says:
    September 19, 2019 at 11:14 am
    This isn’t a surprise for anyone who has watched Patriots games over the years.

    For Pats fans going with the “crybaby nation” line, there is zero chance this wouldn’t have been a huge deal for you if you heard the same about, say, Peyton Manning.

    I get it. Protect the stars. But it’s challenging enough trying to beat that team without this kind of special treatment.
    *************

    Some open questions to Bills fans with the answers to jog your memories:
    1. How many head coaches have you had since Levy retired in 1997? (10)
    2. How man QBs have started for the Bills since 2000? (20 have started +/-)
    3. How many first round picks on QBs? (3)
    4. How many winning seasons since 2000? (3)
    5. How many times have stories been published about rumors of the team moving to Canada? Countless.

    Go ahead and blame your futility on beating the Patriots on the refs protecting Brady. I hope it makes you feel better. Twenty years of utter futility, inconsistent football, and awful management are the real causes.

    The Pats are 33-5 against the Bills since 2000. That’s a lot of help from the refs.

  64. “Crybaby Nation with its top brass out in full force once again to fight the injustice of the Pats dominating the NFL.”

    Easily the most sensitive and thin-skinned fan base in NFL history.

  65. Someone should do a highlight reel of the hits Brady has taken and absorbed over the years. Many of the violent hits make you wonder how he gets up afterwards and continues playing. Belichick has called him one of the toughest players in the league. And he should know.

    He has received no special treatment vis-a-vis other quarterbacks. And that is a fact.

  66. williamshatnerstoupee says:
    September 19, 2019 at 1:13 pm
    “Crybaby Nation with its top brass out in full force once again to fight the injustice of the Pats dominating the NFL.”

    Easily the most sensitive and thin-skinned fan base in NFL history.
    ______________________

    Wouldn’t it be the thin-skinned haters who always post about the Pats because they are a great team? Why do the Pats bother you so much? To me you are the thin-skinned one. Pats fans just point it out.

  67. Brady in the offseason..put on 10-15 pounds to be able to ABSORB the hits.

    Von Miller After the 2015 AFCCG: BRADY KEEPS COMING

    Justin Tuck: Brady keeps getting up no matter how much we hit him

  68. That AFC title game vrs Denver somebody mentioned, was when I realised Brady is a gamer that loves football more than anything . I know he was great and I know he was tough like most NFL QB’s but that game made me see him differently. Unfortunately he may find that the game tells him to stop rather than he calls it a day because he has had enough.

  69. Funny because he never hit brady. In 35 snaps McMillan pass rushed 6 times, recorded no Pressures, no Sacks, no QB Hits and no Hurries. So tell me when this happened?

  70. LOL at the Pat fans calling Brady “tough”.

    If he had to take the type of shots that Marino and Kelly took his career would have been over 5-6 seasons ago. And BTW that wouldn’t be a bad thing.

    The changed the rules because of this guy.

    The Patriots are a dynasty no doubt ….. but any version of the Patriots would have been dominated by the 80’s 9ers or the 90’s Cowboys without question.

  71. “In 35 snaps McMillan pass rushed 6 times, recorded no Pressures, no Sacks, no QB Hits and no Hurries. But at some point he found himself getting a “perfectly legit hit” on Brady. What hit would that be?”….. this guy is an embarrassment….

  72. phinatic29 says:
    September 19, 2019 at 2:44 pm
    LOL at the Pat fans calling Brady “tough”.

    If he had to take the type of shots that Marino and Kelly took his career would have been over 5-6 seasons ago. And BTW that wouldn’t be a bad thing.

    The changed the rules because of this guy.

    The Patriots are a dynasty no doubt ….. but any version of the Patriots would have been dominated by the 80’s 9ers or the 90’s Cowboys without question
    —————————-

    You have to deal with hypotheticals. Who knows how he would have stacked up. We all know players are bigger, stronger and faster today so perhaps Marino and Kelly would have had shorter careers today than they did. Just takes one hit, right.

    What are these rules that have been changed because of Brady? I will stop you before you bring up your own version of the Carson Palmer Rule.

  73. Another thing:

    People say tommy can’t take a hit or he will cry?

    2001. ORCHARD PARK. 12-9 pats win. Tom goes to pass, everyone is covered, takes off.

    NATE CLEMENTS LEGALLY about took HIS HEAD OFF. Tom got up. Brushed himself off, we won the game.

    Go look on you tube. Tommy got clocked, much like Asante Samuel did to Marvin Harrison

  74. but any version of the Patriots would have been dominated by the 80’s 9ers or the 90’s Cowboys without question
    ————————-

    That’s kind of laughable. Those Defenses would have no clue how to handle current offenses, and those Offenses would be stale beyond belief.

    Rex Ryan in an interview talked about a game in which the Pats hung 40 on the Jets and his dad (Buddy Ryan) called him and told him he had to do this and that- basically implementing the 85 Bears Defense. Rex said that if he implemented the 85 Bear Defense the Pats would have hung 60 on them.

  76. phinatic29 says:
    September 19, 2019 at 2:44 pm
    LOL at the Pat fans calling Brady “tough”.

    If he had to take the type of shots that Marino and Kelly took his career would have been over 5-6 seasons ago. And BTW that wouldn’t be a bad thing.

    The changed the rules because of this guy.

    Blah, blah, blah. There were NO Rules changed because of Brady, and if you were a real football fan you would know that.

    That is just Phinatic doing what fanatic’s do, distorting reality.

  77. I guess the rule of “not touching a WR” was also because of the Patriots. It was actually implemented because of Mel Blount.. Now go look up Mel Blount and see what “era” he played in.

  78. Then while your at it look at what years the in the grasp, hitting a QB below the knees, throwing QB down, intentional grounding (very lenient then), hitting in the head, leading with the helmet and others were implemented.

    Hint-In the Era you said when football was harder for the QB.

  79. bay707area49er says:
    September 18, 2019 at 11:11 pm
    Lmao

    And if u think Raekwon McMillan would make this kind of story up
    Then put yourself in McMillan’s shoes and ask yourself how lucky you are to be the NFL and should I even say anything. He’s a fringe NFL player and has more to lose then to gain.

    I believe him
    ********************
    Winners win. Losers make excuses. Fringe players want to make headline too. Too bad he is known more for making up ridiculous comments than for his play.

  80. Similar to what I put out for the Bills fan who whined about Brady, here are a few stats for Dolphins fans:

    1. 10 head coaches in the last 20 years
    2. 20 different starting quarterbacks
    3. Four playoff appearances in 20 years
    4. Last Super Bowl appearance…….1984
    5. Last Conference Championship….1984

    Feel free to blame things on the refs but first realize there is a reason why the franchise is intentionally tanking and starting yet another rebuild, it is because the team stinks and can’t compete.

  81. SoxPats, no one said it was the “sole reason” their team kept losing. I fully realize the Bills have been poorly run since the ’90’s, and give that most of the “credit” for what has transpired.

    Just saying that it’s hard enough to beat BB & Brady without this kind of special treatment, which does exist.

    That’s it.

  82. I understand where the hatred toward Brady comes from. He is the lead figure on one of the most successful franchises of the past two decades. The old phrase comes to mind, “ If you ain’t the lead dog, the view is always the same.” So for Jets, Bills, and Dolphins fans, aside from a couple games, or a couple seasons, you are tired of that view!

    To say that Brady doesn’t get hit is just Wong and inconsistent with the facts. If Brady is at the helm of the Patriots offense the next two years and his sack numbers stay consistent, he will be the all-time leader in sacks. The only reason he doesn’t have more is that he consistently has one of the fastest release times in the league and will also throw the ball away. To say he doesn’t get hit is really a joke and shows how ill informed some anti- Brady/Oatriots fans really are.

    As for how tough he is, just listen to comments from some of the players that have played against him. They may not like him but they respect him because he get backs up. Ask Von Miller, John Elway, CJ Anderson, Derek Wolfe.

    As for comparing him to players from past decades. That’s a great hypothetical argument but that’s all it is. To say he wouldn’t surprise is a joke. Times are different. Players are different. Rules are different. Players from a different era probably would’ve had difficulty in this era. That point is as hypothetical as the original. Babe Ruth couldn’t play in today’s game. Navratilova couldn’t complete against Serena. McEnroe wouldn’t last against Nadal. Stockton couldn’t play against Curry. Who wants to argue for against these comparisons?! Different times. Different players. Still great players.

  83. Sorry for typos in long post.
    1. Wrong not “Wong”!!
    2. To say he wouldn’t “survive” not “surprise”

    Fat fingers on little phone. Sounds like a Chris Farley SNL skit!

  84. billsrthefuture says:
    September 20, 2019 at 9:22 am
    SoxPats, no one said it was the “sole reason” their team kept losing. I fully realize the Bills have been poorly run since the ’90’s, and give that most of the “credit” for what has transpired.

    Just saying that it’s hard enough to beat BB & Brady without this kind of special treatment, which does exist.

    That’s it.
    ***************
    I understand what you’re saying and I didn’t imply that was the only reason.

    I think it is interesting when we talk about “the new rules” of protecting the QB it is implied the Pats are the only beneficiary and their defense gets to absolutely destroy the opposing team’s QB. That’s not the case. Have the Pats benefited from these calls? Sure. Have the other teams benefitted? Absolutely. For the last few years, the average roughing the passer calls against each team has been less than 4x per season (3.69x per team in 2018). The Pats had 3 whistled against them (14 teams had 3 or less) and benefited from 4 (13 teams had 4 or more). In 2017 the average was 3.34x per team. Pats were whistled 3x (20 teams had 3 or less) and benefited from 3 (20 teams had 3 or more).

    When a team gets whistled for RTP and replay shows it was a bad call, it’s aggravating but I don’t think any team benefits from calls more than another.

    At the end of the day, it’s hard to argue battling the refs is a tough obstacle to overcome when you play the Patriots. Better personnel, coaching, and management have a much greater impact. Since Belichick took over the Pats, aside from a couple years, we’re in the top 5 or 6 least penalized teams. Anyone who watches the game and knows Belichick, knows that is from the discipline he expects.

  85. Why is this a surprise? Tom Brady is God to the refs,and someone like Raekwon McMillan has no right to sack him. Please stop the crap,
    The ref has no right to say that. He shouldn’t be doing the job.,

  86. Much ado about nothing. He didn’t say “don’t hit Tom” or “don’t knock Tom down”. He said “stay off Tom” like don’t stay on top of him. It was a warning instead of a flag. He should be happy.

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