Tom Brady throws a pass to himself and wreaks some fantasy havoc

Andy Behrens breaks down a brand new (but super bad) beat that upended fantasy matchups everywhere.

Video Transcript

ANDY BEHRENS: Yeah, it's that time again. This is where we discuss the most heartbreaking, gutting, disgusting losses in your fantasy life. This right here is fantasy Bad Beats.

We've got a new one this week. And I feel like I've seen just about everything that could possibly happen in the NFL happen. But no. The NFL surprises us each and every week. This time it was Tom Brady.

Our friend Michael writes in. He says that this garbage double pass that the officials allowed to count because the Rams declined the penalty-- that is why Michael, the poor born again hooligans-- that is why they lost their matchup by a fraction of a point.

OK. This is a thing that I don't think I've ever seen. It's third and 10. It's the fourth quarter or the Monday Night game. Tom Brady drops back to pass. His pass is batted at the line of scrimmage.

We see this all the time. Flies back to Tom Brady. He catches it himself, right? This is a thing that happens. It's rare, but it happens. But it doesn't end there.

Tom Brady then decides, oh hell, I am not taking this hit. No, I'm going to throw this ball again. what why does it even occur to him that he can do this? I don't know. Is that OK in the Canadian Football League? Maybe it is. Maybe that's something they do in the XFL. Maybe that's something they do in the Pac 12. That seems like a lawless league.

But it sure as [BLEEP] isn't something you can do in the NFL. But Tom Brady did it. Of course, it's the second forward pass on the play. That is illegal. The officials rightly flag it. But because it would not have been enough for a first down, the Rams' actually declined the penalty.

Why can they decline the penalty? This whole play deserves its own 30 for 30, deserves its own hour-long special. But be that as it may, the way this officially counts in the score book-- and there was a minute there where we thought this was going to be both a reception for Brady and a reception for Evans on a single pass, which is incredible and obviously record breaking. But, no, it doesn't end up that way. They don't count the reception for Tom Brady. Because this penalty was declined, it becomes a reception for Mike Evans and an 8 yard gain. And that flips thousands of fantasy matchups.

[NELSON LAUGHING]

This is just incredible. It shouldn't count. It's bogus. It's a garbage pass. You're exactly right, Michael.

Wow. Haven't seen this before. Probably not going to see this again. Tom Brady, you keep surprising us.

Our dishonorable mention this week. It's got to go to AJ. Poor guy. He says, I was all set to win until the Raiders forgot to guard Kelce.

Yeah, he was standing alone in the end zone catching a touchdown pass and looking like he was just fielding a punt. That's a brutal way to lose. You lose by less than a point.

[GASP]

Oh yeah. You've also got a couple of Bengals in your starting lineup like Tyler Boyd. You've got Gio Bernard. That's going to get ugly in a hurry, following the injury to Joe Burrows. That's like a double loss for AJ. So I really feel bad for you, sir.

Thanks again for writing in. Remember, when things don't go your way next week in week 12, on the cusp of the fantasy playoffs-- if things take a bad turn on Monday night, hit us up. #NFLbadbeats.